The long road home
Tara Rao was vacationing on an island in Kerala when the tsunami hit. Two mammoth waves took the lives of many, and left behind thousands of grieving family members across the coast. Tara (who escaped uninjured) was at a relief camp when she met Bhairavi. The Indian puppy with a gleaming fur coat and a bandaged paw was sitting there quietly, mourning her owners who had been washed away. Tara picked up the one-month-old, and brought her home to Chennai. “She sat on my lap in the last row of the plane. The pilot gave us special permission,” says Tara who was surprised when the pup's personality changed completely after coming home. “She took one look at us, sized us up and knew we were pushovers. She came into a home with seven dogs and crushed the hierarchy. The little thing established her supremacy and continues to rule the roost. Every decision in the house is made depending on what's convenient for her.” Tara believes in a dog's inherent intelligence and healing power. She mentions that after the tsunami, Tara suffered a painful foot condition that was examined by as many as 12 doctors. “It was really bad until Bhairavi chewed up my rubber slippers one day. I had to switch to nylon footwear and my problem just went away. She cured me and we all call her Dr. Bhairavi,” says the grateful owner. Tara appreciates the glory of any dog, regardless of breed and actively campaigns for adoption of Indian dogs, stressing that pedigree pets are often victims of cruel breeding practices or suffer with heavy coats in our tropical climate. Thanks to her, Bhairavi made it from a relief camp to a place called home.