Seventeen-year-old Muthu attended The Great Indian Dog show seated in a pram. Muthu, the oldest dog at the event, waited patiently for his turn as younger and naughtier dogs took to the stage eager to impress the judges. A mongrel, Muthu was rescued by Aishwarya Varma when she found him hurt and abandoned on the streets. Aishwarya picked up Muthu and gave him a loving home that he continues to share with six other dogs and ten cats!
Beloved companions
Such were the heart-warming tales at The Great Indian Dog show organised by the Blue Cross of India recently.
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Eighty two mongrels, rescued and adopted by dog lovers, participated in the show — competing for titles such as “cutest puppy” and “dog that kisses its owner the most”.
Mongrels are non-pedigree dogs that are found on the streets and roads close to our homes, schools or workplace. They are also called Indian dogs. These dogs do not have a place to call home and struggle to live on the streets without food, shelter or love. The Great Indian Dog show encourages the adoption of such dogs as they make for lovely and loyal pets.
As the owners brought their pets one-by-one on to the stage, they couldn’t stop talking about their beloved companions. They narrated tales about their dog having its own Facebook account or had them dressed up in a smart tie or pretty dress.
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Fourteen-year-old Tommy, a black Indian dog, attended the event with every intention to take the competition seriously.
He wore a white T-shirt, a pair of matching shorts and a bright red tie, impressing the judges with his formal attire.
Four-month-old Tiny, though, was the show stealer from the very outset. The little dog wore a sparkling purple dress that her owner, Aiswariya, had stitched herself. Tiny won the “cutest puppy” award at the show. The pup was so worn out that she could barely keep her eyes open and settled for a nap on her owner’s lap by the end of the event.
Nine-year-old Honey, however, was full of energy as he walked the ramp, mingled with the judges, made friends with other dogs. Always eager to receive a gentle pat on his head, Honey, a senior dog, was abandoned by his owners when he was eight years old. Sumita Pai, fell in love with the little fellow when she saw him at the Chennai Adoption Drive. “Honey loves to make friends and enjoys eating Indian sweets,” said Sumita. “He is especially fond of jangri .” Incidentally, Honey is a very popular dog on social networking sites as his picture with actress Trisha is one of the most shared pictures on Facebook.