“….Em is one of the many stray dogs that we feed in C.R.Park. His was a group of 5 dogs near C.R.Park police station. One day we saw him limp a little but he ate as usual. Thinking it not to be anything major we soon forgot about it. After that for 3 days in a row we could not locate him as he did not turn up for food at night when we gave the reverse signal of the car(that’s the signal all the dogs have recognized and respond immediately). Worried the next day which was thankfully a Saturday (my off from office), I started enquiring about him nearby. The ATM guard told me that early morning he was dragging himself, unable to walk and headed towards the market. I looked everywhere but much to my dismay could not locate him.I must have made innumerable trips to the market every hour or so trying helplessly to locate him as I was certain he needed immediate help or he would be in big trouble. Then towards the evening my sister had gone to fetch some groceries, she casually asked the storekeeper if he saw one dog dragging. He said he did not but said that between the staircase to the basement and the ground floor in a remote corner one dog is lying since morning and told her to have a look if that is the same dog we were looking for.
My sister saw and much to her horror, Em was lying in a depilated condition, the side of his face torn with blood and pus oozing. He was so weak that he was unable to even move an inch or so but when she called him he tried to still wag the tail.
My sister quickly got a bed sheet she had in her car (we usually keep one for such emergency conditions) and first pulled him out from the corner and quickly wrapped around him and picking him up like a small child rushed to Animal India Trust as that was the most nearby shelter in Lajpat Nagar.
The attendant told that he would need stitches to cover the would as his skin from face was hanging and raw flesh was showing. My sister waited for a while and after making sure he was ok she headed home.
So far so good. But now the real battle started.
Dr.Devi of Animal India Trust said she was giving certain antibiotics to Em but his condition remained the same and he was not improving. She suggested that he was paralysed. With a heavy heart she said that he has no future being a stray and only solution is to put him to sleep. Her sentence sent me jitters. That’s the worst possible sentence that I could hear regarding my dogs from any doctor. Unable to sleep the entire night and images of Em running towards me for his food flasing in front of my eyes, I took an off the next day from work to visit him.
He was locked up in a cage as the other dogs. As I put my finger through the tiny opening in the cage he licked my finger and I could see the joy in his eyes. The same joy that we would have if we saw any family member in an unknown place. I felt he was pleading to take him home
The big challenge was to find him an accommodation nearby C.R.Park so that I could visit him everyday. I headed towards Sonadi Trust. And Thank God for that. Mrs. Sengupta does not believe in euthanasia. She has only one answer to all supporters of euthanasia. If your parents some day become paralysed would you euthanize them too?
She agreed to take him and accommodate him in her house after I guaranteed that I would visit him everyday and feed him, clean him and exercise him.
I also got a huge support from Rishi Dev who too is against Euthanasia. I wish his dog Moghli too would have lived then Em and Moghli would have made a handsome couple J
Sonadi trust had one wheel chair which was relatively small for Em but nevertheless I managed to exercise him with that. But after a month or so, the wheel chair had been transported to the shelter in Najabgarh as one other dog in shelter too needed the chair. Em was very disappointed as it meant missing his daily walks which he eagerly looked forward to. For some days I used to pick up both his hind legs and walk with him as he used to walk with his front legs. But this was a temporary solution. Helplessly I tried to find where I can make another wheel chair. I again called up Rishi Dev who guided me to Jeevashram and they in turn told me to get in touch with Bitto who specializes in making wheel chairs.
I would also be very grateful to Mudita Chandra and her friends who contributed generously in making the chair and also another friend of mine Atu who sent money all the way from New York.
Some Thoughts:
When some one asked me what is so special about Em that compelled me to take on such a responsibility which may extend years together, I say that for me every dog is special. Given a chance I want to open a shelter only for paralysed dogs where each dog would have his own wheel chair roaming about in a huge lawn playing, running, fetching and so that NO DOG PARALYSED WILL EVER BE PUT TO SLEEP. These dogs love you with all they have without any conditions and only expects that you love them back if not more than atleast as much as they love you. Rightly said “HE IS YOUR FRIEND, YOUR PARTNER, YOUR DEFENDER, YOUR DOG. YOU ARE HIS LIFE, HIS LOVE, HIS LEADER. HE WILL BE YOURS, FAITHFUL AND TRUE, TO THE LAST BEAT OF HIS HEART. YOU OWE IT TO HIM TO BE WORTHY OF SUCH DEVOTION”. Every afternoon when I visited him, the moment my car stoped and he realized it’s me he made the strangest of the cutest noise. As if to say to the world here comes my mom. He looked forward to walking with me, running with me and spending quality time together. We talked a lot. I kept telling him that one day he will be strong enough to walk again without the chair and then we both will race. We will see who wins the race. He knew it well enough as he chuckled; he will for sure. I too wished the same.
Then, I appointed a dog walker as my office timing was increasingly getting erratic and I did not want to compromise on EM’s exercise schedule. Still I made a point to come down everyday to meet him. He waited for me endlessly and would perk up the moment he sensed my car stopping outside.
He was making progress everyday bit by bit.
Finally, A year later as of today he walks with me without the wheel chair and runs inside the park.
This is a real story where hope won against all odds. Where possible Euthanasia should not be practiced. We as human beings can at the least do is to give another living being a chance to test his/her own destiny.
Attached are the videos of EM from the stage of paralysis to the recovery stage……..”
One of my baby dog getting paralysed
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/video/video.php?v=1034076885007&ref=nf
Progress of my baby dog-At Sonadi Trust
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/video/video.php?v=1036655829479&ref=nf
Em running with his Wheel Chair
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/video/video.php?v=1046967167256&ref=nf
Em as on 02 November 2009: A miracle! Hope Wins hands down!! [HQ]
