Give a homeless animal a home: Poornima

A few months back, Indrajith was on his way back from a film shoot, late at night. With him was his wife Poornima.
All of a sudden, he saw something which made him stop the car. On the street side was lying a full grown dog tied to a post. “It was obviously some good breed, but we couldn’t make out which as it was unbelievably thin and weak, and it couldn’t stand,” recalls Indrajith.Being ardent animal lovers, the couple called up a veterinarian friend and as they waited for the hospital vehicle to arrive, gave the dog some food they had. “It was heart breaking to see it crawl to eat, it had been starving for days obviously. It had been abandoned by its owners, who left it to die on the roadside,” says Indrajith. They made sure that the dog was taken to hospital, treated and fed, and within two weeks, it transformed into a healthy German Shepherd. Within a month, the dog found a home in a kind hearted family, and is healthy and happy.
It was a time when they had just lost their own dog Chocolate to old age. “Chocolate was the first dog Indran and I got post our marriage. He was a Labrador and the colour of Chocolate. He was with us for 13 years and we badly wanted to get another dog. The incident of the abandoned dog was on our mind and so we decided to adopt a dog, instead of buying. There are hundreds to adopt big breeds, why not we get a local breed, we felt.”
They were in touch with Pradeep Kumar, founder of Karrma, an organisation which rescues injured and abandoned animals. They called him up and found out that he had two puppies of Indian breed with him, their mother was dead and they were struggling to survive. The two puppies were unhealthy, but Poornima and Indrajith decided to adopt them anyway. “The organisation has saved hundreds of animals from painful deaths with their efforts. We wanted to do our bit for them, and that is how Kili and Puli became part of our lives. They are ‘nadan’ dogs, but they are the smartest, healthiest and the most loveable dogs you can ever have,” says Poornima. “I would say they are more intelligent and even better watch dogs than other breeds,” seconds Indrajith.
“More importantly, I wish people wouldn’t get a dog if they are not ready to take care of it till the end. A lot of people think your job is over as long as you give them food, but food is the last thing they need; what they need more is your love and care,” says Indrajith, who, like Poornima, comes from a family of dog lovers. He and his brother Prithviraj always had dogs at their home, and the tradition continues even now. Their two children, Prarthana and Nakshatra, can’t do without their beloved pets, and Poornima and Indrajith firmly believe that they have sent the right message across to their children. “If you can afford to have a pet at home, please try to adopt. I know most of us have limitations of space for a dog in small apartments and we all lead busy lives. But the space and time are in our hearts. I have a maid who lives in a small house with a big family but she still has a dog,” she says. For the family, it doesn’t end there with adoption, and say the children won’t let them be in peace if they see a dead or injured animal on the street, until it is buried with dignity or passed on to safe hands. “The children love our dogs to death, and I feel it has made them more caring and empathetic as individuals,” Poornima signs off.