A stray, street pup can become as endearing as any pedigree, says Kalpana M Naghnoor

Busy with work, I overlooked a certain activity that was transpiring in my very own home. It caught my attention when I noticed that my three daughters were very eager to see me off in the mornings.

I put it down to the fact that they had probably chalked out many activities for their vacation. But a nagging thought clouded my mind when I recalled their content smiles as they waved me goodbye!

Is That A Litter?
Something was definitely brewing. Their undemanding enjoyment of the holidays was beginning to baffle me, until one day, I came home unexpectedly. I heard my daughter Karishma loud and clear: “Pour some more!”

I could hear the maid whimper, over the milk being taken away! “What will I tell Amma?” she begged. “Tell her anything!” Asheema was too involved with what she was doing to offer a plausible excuse, and of course Shivani, the quietest of them simply carried the bowl to the terrace.

I followed them quietly without being noticed. Lo! Who do I see but Dixie, the street dog, with a litter of four pups!

Protecting The Young Ones
I watched, stupefied, as they placed a bowl of milk before Dixie, urging her to lap it up. She needed no coaxing! Drops of milk spluttered all around as she slurped it hungrily. “What... How?” I was too stunned to react.

My daughters were speechless when they spotted me but they quickly regained their composure and began justifying the reasons to house Dixie and her progenies, on safety grounds for the pups. “They could be run over, left on the roads,” they cried. “Until they are older and able to handle life on the streets.

Please... please....” they begged. I relented watching Dixie silently begging for a little consideration from me, with her soft pleading brown eyes.

No Offers For Pie Pups
It was gratifying to watch the girls exhibit this humane caring. They took their chores seriously. They helped Dixie keep her pups clean, watched over them when they were older and played in the garden and replied to the responses to the advertisement they had placed, to find homes for the pups.

Some queries baffled them; people had called to inquire if a ‘pie dog’ was a pedigree. The children were dismayed that there were no takers. The fact that street dogs were considered inferior among dogs, they began pampering the pups far too much.

I began to protest; the cost was sky-rocketing, with the amount of food being bought! “Dixie doesn’t feed them anymore,” they explained.

Pampered Pie Dogs
When I was finally able to contain my displeasure at being made to spend exorbitantly, I began to notice a trend. I found onlookers amazed to see the pie-variety treated so well. Their curiosity brought them to the gate as they passed by, on their way to work or home at the end of the day. They seemed to wondrously look on. Then one day, one of the onlookers Ramdas, hesitantly inquired if one of the pups were available for adoption. “Yes!” I exclaimed.

My children looked hesitant. I persuaded them to give the man a pup, which they did, but only after they had satisfied themselves that he was capable of taking on the responsibility. They questioned him rigorously and that only incited his verve to own the special pie pup.

Soon, his neighbour followed suit and then two more from the same neighbourhood adopted the other two pups. Periodically, we get news of their well being.

I noticed Ramdas was very keen to make it known that he was taking good care of his pup and so were the others. I realised my daughters had inadvertently set a trend by their over-indulgence; the pups were now being treated very well and not like pie dogs.

Perhaps if we all did the same and lifted the pie puppies off the street, then eventually there would be no more street dogs!

GOT COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? E-MAIL US AT femina@timesgroup.com WITH ‘I SAY — Who Wants A Pie?’ IN THE SUBJECT LINE