Skip to main content

Love your pet, or don't have one !

Just a few days back I got information from a friend - Amritika, that a 4 month old dog - a golden Labrador, had been abandoned by her 'human' family because she had a small white crest on her chest !

Just how that mind of a human being - the most developed brain amongst all animals, works in instances like the above, is simply beyond comprehension.

Took me back many many years to a similar story. One summer morning in RK Puram a car came to a screeching halt near my Aunt's house in a multi storey ed Government officers complex. The door opened and a small white male dog was literally pushed out. The car sped away. The poor creature was barely able to comprehend what was happening, and made a desperate attempt to chase the car in the hope of reuniting with his family. But it was too late.

The dog roamed around the residential complex for many days, before my Aunt realized the situation, and adopted him.

'Snoopy' took to his new foster home like a fish takes to water. He was a very intelligent dog. We realized that understanding commands in English was a problem for him and it appeared that he was trained in some other foreign language. Despite this, he got comfortable with English soon. 'Snoopy' went on to live a full life in my Aunt's home. He was blessed with a new home and kind people who took care of him. In return he brought a smile to every single person he came in contact with, and made his foster family much richer with all the love and happiness he gave them.

'Snoopy' was lucky.

In Delhi today, there are innumerable cases of dogs of pedigree, which have been abandoned by their owners. Many of these have been badly attacked and mauled, some have been run over but were lucky to survive, and unfortunate to be disabled due to the injuries they got. Most of these are German Shepherds, Dobermans and so on. In other words all belong to the 'pedigreed' class.

Just this morning, I came across a 'Spitz' roaming around aimlessly in the market place nearby. She was dirty and injured. When I looked closer, I saw that she was actually beautiful with beautiful eyes and a thick while fur. A kind hearted soul - a cigarette stall owner has been feeding her for some days - I learnt. This dog too - had been abandoned.

It seems people keep pets for a host of other reason other than the urge to love an animal. Maybe a pet is regarded as a toy, and the moment one is sick and tired of the toy, there is a desire to get rid of it.

Maybe is 'stylish' to own a pet. And more often than not - people go right ahead and 'buy' them. To them a dog or a cat is no more than an object of temporary pleasure that was bought by paying money. And because a person paid money, he sees himself as well within his right to simply 'throw' the animal out of his life, at his own free will.

My message to all such people is very simple. Having a pet is a life long commitment. It like having your child. You need to look after you pet the way you bring up your child. You need to feed it, ensure that it does not fall sick, or look after it when it does. In short you have to love it. You have to be in a 'relationship' with your pet - for the long haul !

If you don't know how to take care of a pet, DON'T HAVE ONE !

But for God's sake - don't be so cruel.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Memories of the 1971 War.....

1. Flight Lt. Vijay Kumar Wahi - 10144 F(P) Vikram Wahi was my class mate in Class V, in 1971. When the Indo-Pak war broke out in December 1971, our Class V final examinations were on. Many 'fauji' families had to grapple with the stress of these exams, with the war as a backdrop. There were two papers each day, and between them, during the break, I remember seeing the Air Force's fighers landing close by at Palam, after a Combat Air Patrol sortie... On the 7th of December, 1971, we - all 10 year olds were busy writing whatever we had crammed, in our answer sheets, when all of a sudden, we noticed some commotion at the back of the classroom. We saw Vikram Wahi, breaking down, and sobbing away inconsolably. We ten year olds did not quite comprehend the problem, and got back to our answer sheets. That was the last we saw of Vikram Wahi. Till this day, I do not know where Vikram went, and where he is. On the 6th of December, Vikram's family received the news t...
12 comments
Read more

Lawless Delhi

So we saw two instances of violence in Delhi the last two days. One resulting in murder and the other related to a police officer actually breaking the law instead of enforcing it. In the first case a young brash teenager was accidentally knocked down by a DTC bus. The resulting road rage was of such extreme proportions and further heightened by instigation by the kid's own mother, that he violently attacked the driver in the most gruesome manner, resulting in his death. The man was in his 40s, head of his family and the bread earner. Obviously, the kid flew into a rage virtually losing his mental balance. His intent therefore was not just to hit but to kill. His actions partly were translated from a thought process that he could teach the victim a lesson, and get away with it, in a Country which is virtually lawless. While he has been arrested, we all know how long it will take our criminal justice system to punish the murderer. In the second instance, a lady scooterist is att...
Post a Comment
Read more

Terror strikes cricket...

Today, cricket lovers, particularly Indian cricket fans sat and watched with a sense of renewed confidence, the Indian team redeem quickly their prestige glory temporarily lost when they lost the '20-20' series against hosts New Zealand. Redemption coming through a good batting innings in the first ODI at Napier, leaving the hosts to chase a very ambitous, if not an impossible target to achieve to secure victory. But early in the morning, this feeling of euphoria was soon replaced by a sense of deep shock, when news came in of the cruel terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team currently touring Pakistan, in Lahore. Six players were injured but are thankfully safe. The unthinkable and the unprecedented has happened. Never before were sportsmen targeted in such a henious manner as this. Questions and concerns that were raised about safety of players who toured Pakistan, have now probably been comprehensively answered. And no Country will be keen on sending their teams to p...
2 comments
Read more