Our own dear "Beethoven"
We've had dogs for as long as I can remember. And they have always been a part of the family. They sit on our sofas, sleep on the beds, chew up our cell-phones and brand new shoes, sit on the newspaper while we're trying to read, share our happy and not-so-happy moments..Yet in all those times if someone had to ever tell me that someday we would have a full grown Saint Bernard in our house I would have told them they were positively mad!! Yet here I am with a Saint Bernard snoring away peacefully right next to me. It was just like a scene from the movie Beethoven where one day you open the door and you find this huge, slobbering, hairy, full-grown Saint Bernard at your doorstep.

I received this mail from Friendicoes one day about Don, a full grown Saint Bernard whose owner was looking for a suitable home for him, failing which he would have no choice but to put him to sleep. From the time I heard the story it got stuck in my head. I can never understand how people get dogs, get them used to their home, their lifestyle and then one day just decide to give them away because the dog doesn't fit into their lives anymore. For me it would be like throwing out a family member. its unthinkable! We drove for nearly an hour and a half to see him. And the first thing that hits you is of course his size. We've had German Shepherds and Labradors but from every standard he was massive. We met his owner as well and we all wanted to give him a piece of our mind but from what it looked, it seemed like he was having a hard time parting with Don as well, so I reserved my opinions for another time. My parents readily agreed to keep him and by the evening his owner drove him to my parent's home and that's when our personal Beethoven movie began.

He is a little rascal.loves to be pampered, sits like a king while you're stumbling around trying to brush him, sheds a sackful of hair everyday, has to be the center of attention and can be as stubborn as a mule. Your clothes are full of hair and drool after a meeting with the Saint. And at least once a day people in our colony stand out on their balconies to see either my sister or me flying past like a blur behind Don, holding on to his leash for dear life while he just prances majestically on. Yet when you come home, just to see this huge dog jumping up with the biggest smile on his face to greet you makes everything else worth it. He instantly fell in love with our Labrador Candy who has since taken it upon herself to teach him manners and obedience and spends her day showing him around the house. Its Teddy Bear, our handsome Bharat Hound (that's how he likes to be addressed) who is having a bit of a problem adjusting to this new guy in town.but I guess in time they'll earn to co-exist. Truly, animals are amazing. And it surprises me how soon Don has gotten used to his new life. He knows the sound of my husband's car pulling in, he listens for the sound of the gate opening to bark at strangers, he knows when it's time for his walk.it's like he's always been with us.

Thanks to Friendocoes, this story had a happy ending. Yet to people who buy puppies on a whim just to be 'cool' I would say please understand that you are adopting a little life that can't talk like we do but can say loads in every other way. As they grow they learn to trust you blindly and will readily go with you to the darkest corners of the earth if you just asked them to. So to betray that kind of trust is one of the worst things you can do to anyone. I have to applaud the incredible work done by all the people at Friendicoes. People like Cara, Tandrali, Geeta are truly inspiring..they care enough to make a difference to so many lives everyday.

I have so much respect for them and for people like my parents who readily open their homes and their hearts to animals who need nothing more than to be loved. I am moved by wonderful souls, some of whom we're so proud to have as friends, who take mangy little mutts off the streets and into their lives. Like them, I hope more people will adopt animals in need and give them a chance at life. Believe me, in the end, as Louie's, Ginger's, Yana's, Swamy's, Teddy's, Don's and many more happy pet parents will tell you.... it's not so much about what you give them but how much more they give back to you.