The most adorable and ideal pets amongst various dog categories are Golden Retrievers. They are as most would agree  lovable, intelligent and well mannered dogs. And if you have kids at home, Golden is the best pet to keep as they love children and vice versa.

This breed grows up with a well built structure and soft coat. Golden retrievers yearn for their master’s love and attention, so in case you don’t have much time to spare at home, Golden is not what you are looking for. They need to see their master around and make them feel his presence in every possible way. And it’s not just about attention; they know how to protect their owners and their family from the strangers. They are efficient watch dogs as well.  As a pet, this breed is quite obedient and attentive so behaviour training can be very rewarding during tough situations.

Golden retriever’s love water and love to swim, so wherever they find water, they’ll be found there more frequently. In case, your pet is missing, you know where to check first.

Golden as a breed is confident and proud. So they prefer their masters to lead them and display leadership skills. In case of an inefficient training, these dogs can be destructive and high strung. It is important for the trainers to make their pets realize that they are the leader of the pack, so that their dogs can look upon them for being controlled.  As golden retrievers are active dogs, they need lot of exercising and running to stay that way. So a long walk or a run in the morning or evening should be essential part of their daily routines. A medium to large house would be apt for them as they like to run around the house and in the yard. Leader of the pack, which in this case will be trainer, should remain calm and appear strong in front of his dog. The formal training of the dogs should essentially include behaviour training, obedience training and activity training. These activities would not only keep the dog agile it will also nurture your relationship with your companion for life.

Golden retrievers live for about 10-12 years. These dogs shed hair profusely, which can be due to various reasons ranging from seasons to their food diet. However, brushing their hair regularly and regular bathing would help them shedding less. Besides, healthy food enriched in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids should be fed to these dogs. Malnutrition in dogs can impact their health severely. Even though Hair care is absolutely essential, the frequent shedding might sometimes be frustrating for the owners. So it is essential to keep patience with them just like one would with any other close family member.

Shreya Agarwal

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Image Source [http://www.wallcoo.net/animal/v195_Lively_Dogs/images/Lively_Dogs_wallpaper_MIX88080_wallcoo.com.jpg]

It wasn’t until when we read ‘The portrait of a lady’ by ace writer and novelist Khushwant Singh that I started observing birds and their unique charm. The portrait of a lady about Khushwant Singh’s grandmother feeding birds, catching their emotions, symbolizing happiness and grief, moaning on her death and not eating the grains is all what changed my perception about birds.

Somewhat similar to what Singh has portrayed in his story, there was a courtyard in my house with a Jamun tree placed in the centre. Every day I would be compelled to get up early in the morning because of the chirping of sparrows that used to set in on the slab right down the tree to eat whatever little grains or rice my grandmother used to lay down for them. The copper vessel containing water for them never took more than five minutes to fall down the slab when the quest to quench their thirst, started agitating the birds.

They would dirty the several times during the day and my grandmother tirelessly pumped buckets of water to sweep the. It was only then when I  left for higher studies, to move to a new town. It was then that I realized that I would miss my sparrows, the only pets I had.

Un-caged and free yet my pals and pets  would wake me up before my mother would. The only person left behind in the house was my grandmother.  I always used to enquire about how were the birds whenever we conversed on telephone or every letter I wrote to granny had a paragraph full of queries and suggestions for the sparrows. I still remember how annoyed I used to get each morning and tell my grandma while I brushed my teeth that she will not feed them from the next day because they disturbed my sleep. I used to rush out of the bed and run towards them to make them fly away in one go. They would rather tease me by coming back the very next minute.

There came a time when I actually used to feed them in their mouth talking to them, scolding them not to rest in  the Jamun tree at night for the cat would feed on them. Once a cat had badly hurt a little sparrow one night, and I remember insisting on fetching the bird to give her first aid. But sadly the next day we found her lying dead in the courtyard.

Once during a stormy night, the old Jamun fell off, after which my father got it uprooted completely. Its leaves were always full of beet due to the birds and we never plucked away a full uneaten jamun form the tree. My grandmother never again had to toil hard to clean the courtyard. It’s like; we had snatched their habitat, their home from them. Not a single bird could wake me up anymore. For  many days the slab was left with rice and grains. The copper vessel was still full of water with algae.

Today whenever we go over to our house, I still look up in the sky, no jamun tree to obstruct the vision, sunshine washing the courtyard, to look where have the sparrows gone and left me. I still hope while I look up that one fine morning I’ll get up by hearing the ‘Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!’ of my sparrows. Loving your pets is so very essential. Isn’t it?

Shefali Saxena

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Image Source [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uOA9RWZmS6k/TTLbXX1Up7I/AAAAAAAAALU/W-CbpuCGkDM/s1600/maya.jpg]

I’ll be honest. Pet-keeping is not something I am known for. Perhaps that is because I have never had a pet of my own. Oh, one can find a multitude of reasons for this, such as a not-so-large, city home, nobody to stay home with the animal, lack of knowledge about pet-keeping, assumed allergies on part of the parents and what not.

The real reason, though, is that I don’t think I would want to share my pet with anyone else. I am a cat person through and through and like a cat, I like my territory and my rules to be observed and obeyed. For this reason, though I love cats, I have never pushed my parents to keep a cat for a pet and probably will wait till I have a house of my own. However, I shall talk about cat as a pet and what to expect when you are living with one.

To think of cats as pets is to say that salad is a whole meal. The analogy is correct but incomplete. Some of the most commonly known features of a feline animal also indicate the fact that they are essentially wild and do not have the entire set of characteristics to be fully tamed. Scientific research has shown, however, that any animal that has functional response cycle will respond to human contact when exposed for a given period of time. This is especially true for those animals which live in groups because they are naturally more inclined toward behaving in a pattern than their solitary counterparts.

To that effect, just like a lion’s cub starts to look to a human caregiver for milk and food if made to grow up with said caregiver and fed by them, other feline animals can also be brought to respond to human contact in many ways over a period of time. That being said, the first thing to remember about cats, big or small, is that they are by nature territorial and that instinct cannot be curbed, changed or even subdued easily. If you have a cat as a pet, you know not to challenge their boundary if they have chosen it, whether it is three inches where they eat their food or three feet of your favourite chair. It’s theirs now.

Moving on, another typical feature of cats that a cat-owner (I want to say ‘cat companion’ because this term somehow undermines my original point) should understand is their purring patterns. Just like dogs have various ‘touch points’ which elicit various responses in their language, cats have different kinds of purrs which indicate how they are feeling. I will only discuss the primary three here.

The first kind is the typical guttural purring that you can see/hear from an alley cat if you get a chance to observe them for more than ten minutes and they don’t see you. This deep, throaty purring is a sign that a cat is out on a prowl and should not be crossed paths with. Any smaller animal at this time is in mortal danger because she is looking for food and she will not tolerate interference. Dogs get scratched because of this, trust me. It is also the same state of mind which enables the cat to look at you straight in the eye when she catches you coming towards her and you feel like she will say something.

Well, she kind of is. She is telling you that she will not attack because you are bigger but you should just move out of the general area and let her do her thing. A tame cat with the same purr will be telling you that this is her game time and you should not try to feed her. She needs to feel like it is still her territory and once she has satisfied her inner feline urge to hunt a little she will come back to you.

The second purr is slightly higher in decibel points and more like she is cooing or trying to talk. This is the one you will more likely hear if you live in a cat-infested neighbourhood and if you have one of your own. Never think that a house cat is either unaware of or unknown to alley cats because chances are, if your cat is more than three months old, she is fast friends with all the alley cats whether you know it or not. So, a higher, more audible purr with a kind of sing-song tenor is your cat communicating with alley cats. They may be outside, out of earshot.

Your cat still thinks she is being heard and she will try to talk to her friends nevertheless. And the moment she can, she will quickly go out on a stroll and shake paws with them. It is a cat’s way of assuring that she is amongst trusted friends who are not human. While dogs do not need other dogs for support, being solitary in nature, cats need a distant group to rely on even when living in a house.

The third and most important purr of a house cat is the growl. This growl can mean three things: don’t touch her food; don’t touch her babies; don’t look at her in the eye too long. Ultimately though, it means one thing – she is threatened. If something has happened to your cat’s surroundings or general environment (even if the heat is up too much and you have not turned it down), she is on guard and is definitely looking out for safety from something unknown.

The unknown status of this threat does not assure your safety from her claws because as far as she is concerned, you are a threat too. In case she is eating, she is scared that her food will be taken away and you should not touch or adjust her food if she is purring while eating. If she has just had babies, you will be well-advised to only pet them when she is safe and calm. If she has just come from outside and had a bad encounter and if she is purring loud enough for you to hear, don’t try to coddle her or pick her up or even make eye contact too instantly or she might snap.  Give her time to realize that everything is fine and she will return to normal soon.

Your cat is a very independent and self-sufficient being and she needs to feel that way till her dying day. Being overly careful or touchy-feely will always irritate your cat and she will show it in many ways. And so, cat person or not, if you have a cat, remember that you have a roommate and just like you need your space, your cat does too. Close the door once in a while.

Karishma

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Image Source [http://s2.hubimg.com/u/2188721_f520.jpg]

“Cerise pink and cerulean blue

Streaks of banana yellow, onyx and honey dew

Triangular, with extending long fins

Narrowly tarnished sprinklings, curving of spotted spines

Slips, dances and slides, to and fro the tides

Tinting the tank, colours bright

Frantic turns and twirls

Plummeting in the water whirl,

Pirouetting in aquamarine waters

Nosing iridescent circles, sharp white bubbles

Angels, my little angels”

There is no greater joy than watching the most rootless of all creatures, the fish, ‘slip, dance and slide’ after a hard day in office. I have six; six petite Angelfish.

Angelfish 

The much popular, one of the most beautiful tropical freshwater aquarium fishes, Angelfish (Pterophyllum Scalare) make for great pets. ‘Angels’ have strong personality, dramatic appearance and relatively extraordinary intelligence which makes them exceedingly in-demand and available for sale in every pet shop.

History

Pterophyllum, its genus name, means “winged leaf”, a note to the appearance of the fish. In 1824, it was first talked about in Lichtenstein but it was not until early 1930s that it was bred in incarceration in the US. They are the first of their kind to have been brought from Europe to the US. In 1906 Pellegrin discovered a species by the name Pterophyllum Altum and Goose discovered Pleopardi, another species of Pterophyllum in 1963, creating much scientific excitement about the angelfish. Currently, all known species of freshwater angelfish are native to the Orinoco River, Amazon River and Essequibo River basins in South America. And there still might be undiscovered species in the Amazon.

Appearance

‘Angels’ have a round and flat body, but their triangular shape is created by the long pointed, and protruding dorsal and ventral fins, which makes them distinctively different. They are compressed crossways and most have bi-coloured vertical stripes both sides that give them a method of camouflage among aquatic plant life.  They have an extremely striking and exotic appearance and dramatic colour pattern, which is why they are one of the commonly petted aqua fish.

Variants: Golden, Silver, Koi, Smoky, Pearly Gold, Black, Black Lace, Zebra, Marble, Blushing, BlueBlushing, Veil tail

Habitat
Naturally, Angelfish live in the Amazon River in South America. They grow and live in big groups in the bulrushes where they remain well-protected by the enemies and come out when they want to play.

‘Angels’ live in calm and shallow waters, with thick growths. They are happiest when kept in large tropical settings with tall and thin plants, submerged woods and dim lighting.

Housing and: Fish Tanks Care

High, wide and large aquariums work for these tall, big and beautiful fish. Having bred through successive generations, they are adapted to a varying range of captivity conditions. Thus, most schemes of biomechanics and chemical filtration do well for domestic ‘Angels’.

Don’t keep just a ‘few’ angels in an aquarium. The strongest will make the others terribly miserable. Nonetheless, angels do very well in a group of 6 or more in a large aquarium with at least 50 gallons of water that is at least 18″ deep.

Most angelfish are extremely difficult to breed when living in an enclosed aquarium environment. Imagine 200-300 eggs and juveniles with 2 full-grown ones. What a happy family! But, if you do desire to breed without leaving the fry in the tank, the minimum size of tank for a breeding pair should be 70 litres.  The larger the tank, greater is the security and the comfort.

The aquarium ‘should’ have plants. Plants perk up water quality, hinder algae growth, add oxygen to water, and confer shelter to the young fish. Angels like broadleaf plants like the Echinodorus.

Temperament and Compatibility

Being able to distinguish between the different people who approach them, angelfish are the most intelligent of the fishes.  Angels are characterized as semi-aggressive by most pet care technicians though controversially so. They form strict mating partners, often refusing to mate with some other fish if their mate dies.

Though compatible with many other species, they do tend to be more receptive of certain species like moderate to large sized neon tetras, plecos, silver dollars, Corydoras Catfish, Live bearers such as Platies, Swordtails, and Mollies. Angel Fish are often seen in aquariums with Gouramis, Giant Danios, and Rainbows etc

We can combine Guppies, or other fish of similar size, with Angels only as juveniles for a peaceful association. Otherwise what may happen is that the Guppies may nip the Angels’ fins or Angels may swallow the Guppies! If we want to add a new angelfish into an aquarium with at least 1 angelfish already there, the new one should be introduced after the feeding time, preferably when the lights are turned off.

Nutrition

For angels, variety is the spice of life. Provide them with a combination of dry (flaked or pellet), live and frozen food for maintaining their good health. But, remember not to over feed these voracious eaters. Angels might just turn into devils! They may resort to cannibalism. Further, excess fat reduces lifespan. Improper nutrition is the common cause of mortality for these fishes, although ‘Angels’ can survive a week or two without food. (My carelessness tested this time frame twice in the start). If you plan to go on a vacation, do install automatic food feeders. Otherwise, there is no greater delight than feeding your fish!

Angels are observant and intelligent creatures. They’ll greet you, grab food from you and will continuously surprise you.  Angels, clever little angels!

Divyanshi Chugh

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Image Source [http://www.photography-match.com/views/images/gallery/Angelfish.jpg]

Although very few of the people know who Gautam Barat is, he was very renowned amongst the animals. Yes, he is none other than the founder of FRIENDICOES SECA (society for the eradication of the cruelty of animals) that rests under the New Delhi defence colony flyover.

It was a very uneasy and scary night for Tuffy, the grey spackled Great Dane, who lost one of his best friends. Friendicoes is a very well known shelter home for variety of animals, starting from dogs, cats to monkeys. Very few know that under the huge bridge lies a place full of love and care for poor animals who have no other home than Friendicoes itself. The great soul of Gautam Barat, whose heart was full of love and care for those animals, breathed his last breath on October 30, 2011 after struggling and fighting against brain cancer for three years. Gautam’s death has led to a loss for all the animals, the loss of someone who had unending empathy for them.

The hard work that Gautam Barat had performed to set up Friendicoes is praiseworthy. He started Friendicoes in 1980 when there was no water and electricity there and only a couple of shops were given to them. He along with his sister Sreelata and co-founder Geeta Seshamani worked hard to set up the whole place, and that hard work continued till date. Gautam devoted his entire life to Friendicoes and for the betterment of the animals. He was the backbone of the entire organisation.

Tuffy went from person to person, with one ear bent, deep in tragedy, finally breaking down near the chair, where Gautam used to sit regularly since 1980. The only thing that we can do now is learn from him; learn from his humanity and his love, and we really wish that may God rest his soul in utter peace and happiness and may he get twice the amount of joy and love that he has given to this world through his love and concern for animals.

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Image Source [http://www.balsaminn.com/images/catanddog.jpg]

In the forest ecosystem tiger sits at the top of the food chain as a tertiary carnivore and primary predator. For the tiger their only direct threat is man. Predators like the tiger thin out hoof stock and prevent their populations growth. If there is no apex predator, herbivores wreak havoc and humans enter the forest for farming, logging, and poaching of smaller animals with less fear. The existence of tigers is vital for the survival of forests. Thus it controls the population of herbivores and preserves the forest and grassland ecosystem.

The interdependency of living forms in a food chain is obvious as the tiger is dependent upon herbivores for its survival where he maintains there population which in turn prevents the grasslands from being overgrazed.

The herbivores depend upon the producers as grasses, herbs, shrubs,  algae, fungi and large trees for survival and they in turn maintain a balance in vegetation by controlling the extent of vegetation or flora.

Birds survive on herbs, shrubs and trees on fruits and nectar and in turn act as seed dispersal agent for them to spread the population of the floral elements in an ecosystem.

Thus all life forms including tiger are interlinked with each other in an ecosystem and their survival depends upon how intact the ecosystem is.

If we look at it from the society point of view then tigers can directly help some of the world’s poor communities.  Tourists do go to forests/places where tigers exist & money can be made by communities with few alternatives for making a living. Tiger conservation projects also help provide other alternative livelihoods for rural communities that are not only more sustainable, but can raise income levels too.

In order to save the tiger we also need to ensure that it gets an appropriate habitat for its existence. Saving the tiger means indirectly saving the forests and in turn saving the environment that is reeling under global warming due to massive deforestation.

Abhishek Sagar

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Image Source [http://delhigreens.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Save-Tiger-with-celebrities-falling-behind-the-campaign-hope-the-tiger-remains-the-real-star.jpg]

Anyone who owns a pet, be it – a dog, a cat, a parakeet, a rabbit ….has his/her own reasons. For some, a pet like a dog acts like a house-safeguard (A veracious German shepherd will do just fine), for some it’s a matter of status-quotient (A expensive breed of a dog/cat/bird, preferably imported, has to add charm and royalty to their living).

For some others, a pet  is meant to give company to the owner (possibly the best companion of  a hermit or a loner)…and reasons galore.

For ages pets have been nurtured by human civilization and in the modern era, the trend of keeping pets is fast evolving, not only in the upper class of the society but also among the middle class sections. And with this trend, the pet industry is also booming as well. A holistic range of pet products have been flooding the market ranging from pet foods, clothing, medicine and vaccination, upkeep and grooming products etc.

A simple stroll to the nearby multiplex will give a pet-owner plenty to choose from.

Also owing to the fast evolving trend of pet-keeping, several pets training centers, medication and pet vaccination centers, veterinary healthcare nodes etc have been fast mushrooming.

The whole pet-keeping trend is in process of modernization. Infact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it is fast becoming a craze. And with this craze, comes a potential problem-‘the problem of pet neglect and failure of upkeep’. In several cases, especially among the upper class groups, it’s the tiny toddlers or children that are caught in this craze and force the family-heads to get their favorite pets. The response is usually positive and children get their wishes. Initially the innocent owner is enthusiastic and is whole-heartedly involved in his pet upkeep. But within a few weeks (or possibly months), the craze drowns away and then starts the process of pet neglect. This is a serious issue to be looked upon not only by parents and elders of the family but also by animal-rights activists.

Instead of blindly following the pet upkeep trend, the owner must be fully aware of its social and moral obligations. Various NGO’s and animal-rights groups too need to generate mass awareness about healthy pet culture. The Pet industry too has a role to play here. Each and every pet product launched in the market should carry informative data about it and should advertise about various qualities about their product, beforehand, for instance-What product is meant for which pet, the specific breed it caters to, any possible complications, pet-food dose information, long term or short term health effects etc.

The training centers too need to chip in with their services and offer pet training and health-care or medical facilities at affordable rates.

It needs to be realized that the pet industry is not any other materialistic product manufacturing industry. It is servicing a living form and there isn’t any scope of leniency.

For sure, the humanitarian and moral grounds need to supersede financial motives or profit margins.

Rohit Kumar Singh

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Image Source [http://steppinoutpetsitting.com/images/group_pets.JPG]

The prevention of animal cruelty has often been a largely neglected issue. Treating animals with compassion seems quite the task to many suited up individuals. Some people refuse to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. Animal Cruelty encompasses anything from beating or killing to neglect or abandonment. Children, bless their souls, bring home hurt puppies only to face an infuriated mother. Parents admonish their children for bringing home a flea infested mutt.

The situation, however, seems to have changed over the past few years. Nowadays, with increased awareness, a lot of animal shelters and NGOs have emerged. These organizations rescue animals from hostile environments and treat them free of cost. Things finally seem to be looking up for our furry little friends.

Animals have had a history of being treated cruelly by their ‘superiors’. Some people hurl stones at stray dogs just for the ‘fun’ of it. A culture that worships cows, houses people who overwork their cattle and dump them into the abattoir. There are people who still use jackets made of animal fur. It would be good to remember that being mute doesn’t warrant ill-treatment.

NGOs AND ANIMAL SHELTERS

Many organizations, catering to animals, have come up in the recent past. Their campaigns for spreading awareness and their sheer enthusiasm have forced a change in the mindset of people. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), for instance, has gained worldwide recognition for the work it does. Many celebrities have collaborated with these organizations in order to spread the word. The controversial campaigning techniques of PETA have certainly captured eyeballs around the globe.

In this article, I would like to focus on two such organizations.
In Defense of Animals (IDA) India
In defense of animals (IDA) was started in the United States in 1983. IDA India works in affiliation to the U.S. organization.

Set up in 1996, the IDA India helps animals in numerous direct and indirect ways.
The organization mainly deals with sterilizing and neutering stray dogs and cats. Their work area is situated in and around the city of Mumbai. Neutering is done to free the animals from pathogens. It also holds camps to counsel owners to take better care of the animals; especially their cattle.

They have a certified vet who remains on call 24/7. One innovative scheme includes free treatment for animals if the owners follow certain animal management practices. Their mobile clinics, for stray dogs, have been very helpful. They have three ambulances which the owners can call for their pets. They even rescue animals from the wild. They have been successful in rescuing animal from unfavourable situations and in providing them with adequate healthcare facilities.

Krupa Loving Animals

Situated in Kengeri Bangalore, this organization has 30 kennels for the housing and treatment of animals. The organization provides absolutely free treatment and care for homeless, abandoned animals which are either sick or injured. They also give food and shelter for handicapped, nearly dying and aged animals. They try to nurse abused pets back to health.

One of their main agendas is to find loving homes for abandoned pets. They do not have an ambulance service right now but will have one in the near future. They work entirely independent of the government and work only through the volunteers. Krupa Loving Animals has taken many steps towards alleviation of animal cruelty. Because they are not affiliated to an international organization, they need funds from local donors. They have done a good job so far, and will continue to do so if blessed with proper funding.

Normal citizens can also participate in animal protection activities by – sensitizing their children towards compassion for animals, supporting the local animal care foundation, adopting a stray animal, or just spreading awareness in general. Having a higher level of intellect does not sanction callousness towards lower beings. Peaceful co-existence is necessary for the existence of a balanced society.

Anirudh Madhavan

Image Source [http://www.sonomapets.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/dog_shelter.jpg]

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Saffron, Sushi and Pringle are now among the most common cat names, as owners ditch traditional monikers in favour of food references.

Cats increasingly named after food by their owners.

The research found that one of the most trendy names for pet cats nowadays is Pilchard.

A survey by the Cats Protection charity discovered that owners across the UK often think of their own food tastes and are fond of naming their pets after snacks.

Instead of Tiddles and Thomas, names like Pringle, Saffron, Sushi and Jellybean are increasingly popular, say the Sussex-based charity which questioned more than 1,000 people aged between five and 70.

The research also found that one of the most trendy names for pet cats nowadays is Pilchard.

The charity launched the survey hoping people would come up with names for the stray and abandoned cats that come into its care.

The online poll found the public has a taste for other food-related names for their cats with suggestions including Cabbage and Captain Haddock.

Aashima Bhalla

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Image Source: [http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/eating-dry-food1.jpg]

Man and animals have been amicable with each other since the caveman days. Man is said to have tamed almost every animal from the gallant lion to the timid tortoise. And thus they have coexisted in a benign and peaceful environment. However, in my case, things had not been so friendly. A childhood misadventure with a savage street dog had incorporated in me a deep fear of dogs in particular and animals in general.
Such was the dread that I refused to enter any place housing a dog until the “beast” was collared in a far corner.

A transformation occurred in me when I met “Dodo”. It was my summer holidays and I had gone to my aunt’s place for a few days to a have change from the regular morbid life. One evening I was walking through a narrow by-lane, so lost in thoughts that I couldn’t hear the constant honking of the speeding SUV behind me. And then there was a sudden glimpse of golden in front of my eyes and the next moment I was flat on the ground on my back and a huge golden-furred dog crouched by my side. I looked up in time to see the big SUV race past us.

In no time a small crowd of curious bystanders clustered around us. I quickly gathered myself and stood on my feet but the dog did not. It was then that I realised realized that while jumping and pushing me away from the speeding car the hound had severely hurt itself. I was shaken to the core by this grave incident and it was at this moment that my shock overtook my fear.

I bravely lifted the injured canine in my arms and took him back home. At home, everybody was a ghast to find a profusely bleeding street dog in my arms and started to put up varied queries. My uncle finally took charge of the situation. He cleaned the wound and provided some first-aid. The dog was then taken to the near-by vet.

The vet informed us that there was a minor fracture which had been taken care of and we can leave the dog back to the street. But I couldn’t abandon him. How could I. , He he was my hero. He had saved me from what could have been an extremely fatal accident. In a way, he had given me a renewed life. And this life would have been incoherent without him. Thus “DODO” joined my family.

Now, six months down the line, Dodo has become an integral and indispensible part of my life. He has changed my perspective of animals. I no longer see them as beasts but as another of God’s beautiful creation. Dodo completes me. My day starts with the embrace of his soft fur on my face and ends with him knocking me down on the bed with his bear –hug. Every time I come home he gets so excited as if he hasn’t seen me for days even though I was out only for a few hours. I confide in him my deepest secrets as well as craziest adventures and he is always ears. In him, I have found a loyal and brave companion. Today I’m a complete believer of the saying- “Dogs are a man’s best friends”.

Amrita Sarkar

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Image Source[http://www.flickr.com/photos/stooopid_crack/1473824579/sizes/m/in/photostream/]