(Who As A Pup Was saved From The Gutter)
So, sneakily, without our knowledge, the children had picked up the scrounging, lice-ridden, skeletal pup and started feeding him with part of their breakfast and dinner (lunch could not be shared with the pup because they had it in their school). They had been feeding it in a secret place a little away from our home. This continued for may be a week before their parents took them away for the Christmas holidays.
The next day after the children left, we were surprised to find, hovering in our doorsteps and shaking its rump, a thin runt, all bones, covered with a sickly skin and a lean worm filled belly. It was a detestable sight. It refused to leave, despite all my wife's attempts to shoo it away. It was then, my neighbours (not much of animal lovers, if you ask me) complained to us that it was all because of our grandchildren. Only then did I realize that the poor thing was looking for its saviours. While my son didn't say a word, - for or against, all the neighbours (later joined by my wife) wanted the creature to be taken to a distant place and abandoned (what a cruel and cheap trick!). I for one would have none of it. I decided to save the sad little creature, which perhaps was expecting its two little saviours to turn up any time.
Against all oppositions, I adopted it and began to get it attended to by a well-known Vet. First thing: de-worming, second: Antirabies injection, third: five-in-one injection (that is, against five diseases one of which is Leptospirosis) and treatment for lice and fleas. My son, whose mood slowly changed later, joined me and together, we have till date continued to give periodical preventive treatment to our dog and are keeping the Vet/"s certificates. Eventually, I got the poor thing eventually neutered.So, the neighbours for whom a dog's (or even pup's) lick could mean rabies cannot question me. Surprisingly, much to our delight, Mopsy has now,become in a way the pet of our entire neighbourhood. By the way, My wife who is by birth and conviction a strict vegetarian has converted Mopsy to her ways!
In the picture above, My grandsons Ramu and Ravi are enjoying with Mopsy, "Holi" an Indian Spring festival during which people splash colour on each other. Incidentally there is a bird On the upturned right palm of Ravi, my second granson Ravi!
