Sunday, September 30, 2012

The 'Bitch'...who took my heart away


This is Julie..I first met her about a year back..when she placed herself in the lane opposite my house as a mom with a litter of seven puppies. Unfortunately most of the litter died and some were also taken away. Julie was in tremendous shock for sometime & it took us neighbors a lot of cajoling to make her eat anything at all. We all took turns to feed her and since then she has recovered and become cheerful once more. But Julie never forgot the favor  she settled into the lane as a watch guard. Every time I walked my small lab, she made it a point to protect him from all the street dogs around. A gentleman who was especially very fond of her, used to take her for rides in his car and over time got her vaccinated too. Julie used to wander around by herself and come back home to the lane after she was over with her wanderings of the day.

Suddenly one day, the gentleman who used to take her for rides shifted his house to a lane about 2 kms away from mine. He had adopted Julie, even though she was a stray and she would sleep in his house. I was not aware that the gentleman had shifted his house and when I couldn't see Julie for about 2-3 days I was worried. But as fate would have it, suddenly I discovered her again on one of my morning walks. She came running to me, wagging her tail..ever since that day this lovely lady accompanies me almost every day on my walks..she showed me her new home too..she walks with me for about 45 minutes and drops me back home..till a particular point( which was her old beat). But she never crosses what she thinks is the threshold to her old beat, because it is no longer her territory..she watches me from that distance..and after I enter my house she walks off. 

I am a great fan of the Indian street dog. I have seen and owned many pedigree s since childhood. But nothing beats the Indian street dog in smartness, bravado & sheer love for humans.I have a feeling that somehow..(& I may be wrong in this) but dogs at home sometimes imbibe human qualities & loose that touch..whereas these ones have so much of raw emotions..it is tremendous to see these bony structures fend for themselves, with that hungry look in their eyes..give a good fight...scratch, snarl & love in equal proportion..my lab at home is twice Julie 's size..is probably fed far better but can do nothing but play.. perhaps comparisons are unnecessary here, & I love my dog to death but Julie takes my breath away for sheer awesomeness.

I don't know why the word 'Bitch' has such a bad connotation, because this bitch took my heart away!

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