From being born homeless in Tamil Nadu, to enjoying scenic walks in Switzerland, young Bailey has had quite the journey. Her family fields admiring glances and questions from other Swiss people who stop and ask where she’s from, with some even remarking that she looks like a coyote. Alena Pantlova tells them she’s an Indian dog, and never tires of the compliments that follow.
Just over a year ago, Bailey was in an adoption camp organised by Humane Animal Society (HAS) Coimbatore, after she was vaccinated and fostered with the hope of finding her a home. It was an unsuccessful effort — as always, there were more puppies than there were homes available. “We put up a post on Facebook about puppies available for adoption, Bailey being one among them,” recalls HAS founder Mini Vasudevan, who was zapped when she received an adoption request from Europe. “I knew that she used to follow our page quite regularly and actively, but the request was totally out of the blue. She did not care about breed or gender,” she says of Pantlova.
The two women started working out an elaborate plan: A German HAS volunteer was to take the pup back with her on her way home to Frankfurt a few months later, and the Pantlova family would drive all the way from Switzerland to meet them at the airport and pick up their new dog.
And before that, there was paperwork to be handled. When they met at last, the puppy was initially too scared to come out of her transport crate, while Pantlova’s son Wiliam was beside himself with excitement.
Bailey came home and began her new life with her delighted owners — and their two baffled cats, who had never seen a dog before. “With me, she goes for walks, and I feed her. She plays the most with my husband who makes her many toys. And she sleeps next to my son. She chooses something for everyone,” laughs Pantlova, who describes Bailey as a ‘very nice lady’ who doesn’t like to play favourites.
She often thinks of Vasudevan with gratitude for making it happen, and says that her decision to adopt a rescued dog was also a message for their son: “Shelters are full of animals waiting for homes. It’s heartbreaking how they struggle every day. We want to teach our son to think about animals… that it’s not important whether they are mixed-breeds or not. Every animal has got a soul”.
Says Vasudevan, of the woman who moved mountains to bring home a dog in need, “Alena’s choice is a stellar example of how a kind gesture such as this can result in a huge transformation to the life of an orphaned animal. I cannot imagine Bailey having a better home or family.”
