On Sunday afternoon at CP Arts Centre, over 60 non-pedigree dogs and their owners made a beeline for the registration desk only to be informed that they'd already won. Volunteers slipped gold medals tied to blue satin ribbons around the dogs' necks. The medals read: ‘Proud to be Indian'.
The Wacky Mongrel Show is organised every year by the Blue Cross of India to promote the adoption of homeless puppies and dogs, using the contestants' success stories as a backdrop. This year had its share of fairytale endings, many of which left the audience misty-eyed. As the owners went up on stage, led by their furry friends, the judges had just one major question — “So, how did you meet your dog?”
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Pratichi found a one-month-old puppy buried in a sand pit, and scooped her up to find that she was conscious. “Dinki is a member of our family now”, she said as her adoring dog looked on. Aditi pointed to her dog Kushi — “Kushi's mother died in an accident. Her brothers were adopted, but this little one was left all alone. We were fortunate to get her”. Sowmya adopted her dog from a shelter in Dallas, the U.S., and mentioned that Elmo braved a cross-Atlantic flight to come with her to India.
A shy, brown puppy named Chennai was rescued by a German tourist when the mother dog was poisoned. “She was treated for a skin infection, and will soon join her owner in Germany”, said Chennai's foster parents to loud applause from the crowd.
Other stories included puppies retrieved from dustbins, pups left behind when their slum-dweller owners were forcibly relocated, and dogs adopted after being treated for hit-and-run injuries.
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The judges were Bryan Dalton, Chief of Consular Services, US Consulate, who adopted his dog Devi from the streets of Romania; Shihan Hussaini, karate expert and dog lover; and Dr. Nagarajan of the Veterinary Hospital. Thirty winners received trophies for categories such as ‘Best Rescue' and ‘Survivor Award'. Actor Suhasini Maniratnam, a special invitee, handed out prizes and said: “You can feel the love at the Blue Cross dog show”. One of the top awards went to Rowdy, who was washed away by the rains as a puppy, and adopted by Pavithra when he landed up at her office. The other major winner was Lab, a serene dog with a glowing fur coat who was abandoned by her former owner after which Koti, a cobbler, rescued her.
‘Go for adoption’
Shankar, one of the show's organisers said that the purpose of the show was to encourage adoption and rescues. During the show, 18 puppies in the adoption section were fast asleep when they were picked up and taken home by their new families.
Rowdy's owner Pavithra summed up the day's events — “It was great to be surrounded by so many people who care for dogs. I hope the mongrels that were part of the show inspire more people to take these wonderful creatures off the streets and into our homes and hearts.”