My tryst with the animal and pets world started quite accidentally when a friend of mine woke me one morning informing me that she is relocating to America and that her 40 day old puppy is to be taken care of. My daughter who is a true fighter for animal rights smiled at this piece of news as all her earlier pleadings for a puppy fell on her mom’s deaf ears. So Sophie (the puppy) came into my house wrapped in my daughter’s arms blissfully asleep. I smiled at the first sight of the puppy eyes when they looked at me innocence written all over. I smiled again drawn into that innocence blissfully unaware that this small little fur ball would turn my life upside down very soon.

My puppy and the family bonded very well as initially all were well and sundry. I was to look after her meals which I thought were easy as the pup was really small. I was once again proved wrong as this girl ate and ate , drank and drank and soon started to grow bigger and bigger. The quantity of cooking increased so also the milk and the bread not to mention the biscuit packets of all types.

In all this I forgot to inform you that my family is a highly orthodox Brahmin family where onions are to be eaten only on non important days and garlic was almost equal to meat. So my grandfather a 90 year old man took Sophie’s matter quite seriously. He was upset with the puppy in the house. It took my daughter lots of persuasion to find out the real reason for his worry. He resented the name Sophie as it was a Christian name and we being Hindus, wanted to rename her Saraswati. I tried telling him that religion is for human beings but not for dogs, but this explanation did not go well with him. So even today he calls the puppy Saraswati , and Sophie quite innocently looks at the old man  puzzled and wags her tail..All ends well for that day.

When Sophie was a month old we took her to the Vet for her first shot. What a place! After my daughters pediatrician who had quite a plush office my vet’s p[ace was a paradise. The place reeked of rich money and comfort (not for us but for the dogs). The vet asked me whether my puppy was a pure breed and I didn’t know the answer. No human being is pure so what’s the big question about dogs?   Sophie was first checked for fleas to ticks and then her ears and teeth came next followed of course by her back and tail. Then we were handed over a menu card look alike which consisted of all the prices…a haircut, an ear clean, a tooth clean, full body wash, and a full body wash with conditioner, not to forget cutting nails too – All this of course at a good price. While I read it with astonishment writ on my face the Vet said they also offered discounts – if I take a shampoo wash then the conditioning is free. The attendant in the meantime took my daughter to an array of fine combs and dog chew sticks, lollies made of chicken to red meat strips. My Sophie started drooling all over the place so I quickly bundled out of the place already losing out 2000 bucks.

Sophie grew, so my budget too. Apples and carrots for breakfast along with bread toasted ( my puppy never eats raw bread), drools for lunch, a few biscuits in the evening snack and hot phulkas for dinner and she would complete the dinner with at least a cup of fresh curds just at the right temperature. She would then take a chew stick into her mouth and quietly retire to a corner and sleep on her comfy bed or beside me on my bed for a  6 hour uninterrupted deep sleep.

Days passed by and Sophie started to become bigger. Everybody, experienced in the field of dogs, said she should go for training. So off we packed her for three months for obedience training with lots of hope and tears in our eyes as by that time she had become one of us. I was transferring money through net banking and the trainer was face booking all Sophie’s photos and videos. The trainer a canine behavior therapist promised that Sophie would emerge as a lady would from finishing school. Three months passed by. We planned a home coming for Sophie and my grandfather too waited at the gate that day. Sophie ran into our arms and licked all our faces. She walked into the house, looked at her territory, slept for that night and the next morning yawned, stretched and told us she was home. So old clothes were hastily taken out for her to chew, nibble and tear in anger. A ball went burst; our old soft doll was once again became her chew toy.

Sophie is now with us for 11 months, in this entire episode with her never was a day spent in sorrow, and never was a morning late for a walk. Everybody became fitter and younger once again. It is only at night when she comes and curls around me with her face in my arm do I realize that it was all the worth. Her love is unquestionable; her tail always wags when she sees me; her face lights up in joy every time I come close to her… Who in the world guarantees me this Joy at all times!!!!