Their hearts beat for these ‘underdogs’

AHMEDABAD: Chunilal is the centrepiece of 45-year-old Nidhi Dave’s residence in Maninagar. This namesake of Devdas’s companion is a five-year-old stray dog, who entered this school administrator’s home and heart as a puppy.
“Earlier, I used to feed stray dogs like many people do,” said Dave who has also adopted Sweety, a two-year-old Doberman who was abandoned on road by its previous owner.“But when one such dog was cruelly beaten up by a society resident, I realized that I would have to take responsibility for the dog,” Dave said. “Ever since, he has been a part of our family.”
Dog lovers say strays are a polarizing factor not only for Ahmedabad but also for any city where they are seen as both a menace and an inherent part of the urban ecosystem. More and more residents are now adopting stray dogs not only out of compassion but also practicality as they require minimal maintenance.
They are showering love on stray canines at a time when the cruelty of throwing a dog from a terrace in Chennai had made the headlines earlier this month. In Gujarat, acid has been thrown on dogs on accasions but hundreds of dog lovers redeem humanity by caring for strays unconditionally. Adopting strays, experts say, mitigates the general hostility towards stray animals.
Sparky, a resident of Gulbai Tekra, is a star dog — not only for his name but also for the fact that he has found a place in a book. This three-legged wonder’s survival after a near-fatal accident and its power to unite a society has been vividly documented by Esther David in her book on the city. She also narrates his love story with one-eyed Mandy, another stray, who has also resides in the society.
“Sparky is pucca bawaji (Parsi) in habits and temperament. He prefers Dhansak to dog supplements,” said Armeen Commessariat, 41, the owner of a jewellery store. “A stray dog by heart, he likes coir mat rather than a dog house. Sparky is more than a dog to me.” Commessariat said the dog emotes like a human being. “I forget the number of times I have confided in him about my problems as he would come near and snuggle, as if telling me that everything will be fine,” he said.
For 58-year-Sunil Thakor, a thermocol and acrylic artist from Behrampura, his five-year-old dog is a member of his family. Thakor calls him ‘Beta.’ Thakor, who never married, earlier had a bitch that spent 12 years with him. He even conducted its last rites at his residence, wrapping it in a sari.
“This is the second stray that has come to me and decided to stay,” Thakor said. “He has his own tub to bathe in and own sofa too. Even after all these years, it is always heartening to see the spark in the dog’s eyes when he spots me.”
Amdavadi slumdogs going abroad
Harmesh Bhatt, the founder of a city-based animal welfare organization, Asha Foundation, said that stray dogs in the city have even found a connection with foreign visitors. “Four dogs from the city have now settled abroad— two in the US, one each in Canada and Switzerland,” he said. “The necessary papers were prepared by us. For the families that adopted these dogs, compassion came with fascination. These canines are fiercely independent but still loyal, easy to maintain and difficult to let go.” The last such adoption had taken place in 2014.
The other side of the coin
As strays find home, many of the pedigreed dogs are being booted out of homes, primarily for their illness and the lack of understanding on maintenance.
“We have recently rescued a St Bernard from Vastrapur which had caught an infection and was in dire need of treatment,” said Arvind Parmar, the founder of Sabarmati-based Wildlife Rescue. “Same is the case with breeds such as Doberman, Pug, Mastiff and so on. People purchase puppies and like them when they are small. But when the dogs grow, their maintenance cost increases. They also require a certain discipline, which, if you are not well-off, can cost a bomb.”
Rise of Indian breeds
Amit Patel, a city-based businessman and Drive-In Road resident, has for years rooted for Indian breeds. “These are primarily cross between hounds and local breeds,” said Patel who gifts pups to fellow enthusiasts. “Dogs like Caravan have a very different appearance and are excellent sniffers. My love affair started with dogs right from my childhood as two generations of my family have kept dogs.” Experts said that there are five identified breeds including Mudhol hound, Rajapalayam, Vipet, Rampur hound and Waghari hound that are indigenous to India.