By How do we make some people understand that animals can change our life for good? When I take a stroll with my dog every single day, one of the most common things I notice is how some people very casually start saying, ‘Hat Hat’ when they see my dog approaching. This is a very common behavioural pattern, for people who assume that my dog is dangerous. It hurts me the most when I see kids behaving in a cruel fashion and pelting stones on them.
How do we change this attitude? Do we have a solution to this problem? The truth is that we have not lost the battle yet. When I see some extremely special people act sensitively towards animals, it makes my heart grow.
So here are two heart-warming stories of how some amazing animals changed the lives of some humans. It will also help some people realise that animals have big hearts and don’t deserve cruelty.
1. The Knight In Shining Fur-Coat:
Prologue:
Sunita was super scared of stray dogs in her area. She would continuously shoo them away while walking to the near bus stop and always carry her umbrella just in case they attacked her. One day, while she was coming back, she came across a dog who looked extremely dehydrated and his body had gone in a state of shock. It seemed like he was breathing his last and needed help badly. Even though Sunita was oblivious to the pain of street dogs in general, this dog caught her eye for some reason. She found an old broken earthen pot nearby and emptied her water bottle in it and gave it to the dog. He was struggling but lapped up all the water and looked much better.
The next day, Sunita saw him again from the balcony and saw that his condition was better but he still looked weak. She got a pack of biscuits and another bottle of water for him and very carefully laid it down for the dog and called him from afar. As soon as he started eating, she left. This ritual continued for a week and by now, the dog looked much much better.
The Bond:
A couple of days later, Sunita had to work on a project on an urgent basis and left her workplace pretty late. While coming from the bus stand, she noticed that two scruffy looking men were following her. At first, she thought it must be just a coincidence but when they entered the lane of her house, she got worried. Their pace suddenly quickened and so did her. Unfortunately for her, she also forgot her umbrella at work. They were just behind her and about to attack her when she suddenly heard a deep menacing growl.
The moment she turned around, she saw that the dog who she had been feeding food for a week, was standing between her and the two men. He was baring his teeth and barked so fiercely that the men bolted around and ran for their life. The dog chased them till the main road. Sunita was in a state of shock by now and burst out crying. The dog finally came towards her with a wagging tail but Sunita didn’t know how to thank her hero.
She very cautiously extended her hand towards the dog and very slowly patted his head. She did something like this for the first time. They formed a new bond that day and they became fast friends. She fed him daily from that day.
2. The Four-Legged Therapist :
Prologue:
Neha had just moved back to her city with her husband, Vishal. Things didn’t seem fine between them but she wanted to make it work. She decided to consult a marriage counsellor to sort her relationship issues. The counsellor suggested adopting a dog as they both were animal lovers and this might bring them together. They weren’t sure about it but made a promise that they would think about it. Vishal was worried about taking such a huge step and here’s why. His parents were going to come next month and they didn’t want to let them know how toxic their marriage had become. He was also worried about his mother who had Alzheimer’s and needed a lot of extra care. So he wasn’t sure if bringing a puppy at home was such a good idea. But he still wanted to give it a try.
The Mascot of Joy:
Over the weekend, Neha and Vishal went to an animal shelter. They came across a cute puppy and couldn’t help but bring him home. They named him Mascot. He was a mischievous four-month-old mutt with polka dots, a wiggly tail, lop-sided ears and a long tongue that was bigger than his face. This gave him such a goofy look and they couldn’t resist his charm.
Neha would talk a lot with Mascot and share all her problems with him while he frolicked around. This made a huge difference in her mood and she started smiling again. One day, Vishal heard Neha talk to Mascot. He found out how lonely Neha had become. She felt like her husband had become a stranger to her due to his hectic work schedules and lack of time. He realized that he had changed a lot since a couple of years. His arduous work schedules were taking a toll on his marriage. So from that moment onwards, he decided to actively take part in all the activities related to Mascot.
They started taking care of his needs, went on long and refreshing walks, had plenty of play-time and endless photo sessions. This helped them both come close to each other again. They also decided to talk to each other more freely while Mascot was around so it was easier for them to talk about things they usually weren’t comfortable with.
Vishal’s parents finally came. He worried about Mascot jumping on his mom and scare her because he was a hyper puppy. His mom was a frail lady who seemed lost in her own world. She had stopped talking and would occasionally talk about random things that would turn into gibberish and mumbling eventually.
When Mascot came to meet her, she didn’t even realize he was around. Somehow, it is as if Mascot knew all along what was the situation and approached her very sweetly. He sniffed her gently and very sweetly went sat down near her feet. He would lick her toes now and then and cuddle with her most of the time. She eventually started noticing him more and for the first time in a long time, Vishal’s mother smiled from ear to ear. She asked them what his name was and insisted on giving him treats and head scratches. They all couldn’t believe what had happened in front of their eyes. They all cried some happy tears and had a lovely evening full of happiness, good food and of course, Mascot’s shenanigans.
Epilogue:
A couple of days after Vishal’s parents left, Vishal’s dad called him. He told him that his mom was feeling much better. She would occasionally remember Mascot and talk a lot about his floppy ears and an extra-long tongue that kept hanging on one side with excitement and glee. Vishal and Neha didn’t believe in miracles but now they felt that maybe, miracles did exist afterall. Their miracle had four legs, a swishy tail, floppy ears and a long, long tongue. This shows how animals can change our life drastically.
Conclusion:
We hope that these stories brought a smile on your face and made you realise how animals can change our life for good. The only way to reduce the cruelty against these adorable angels is to let go of our misconceptions. Not every animal wants to attack us. All beings deserve love just like us. We should also be a little open-minded and try to understand the psyche of these beautiful creatures.
Please go through our blog about the dognapping cases in India and how to prevent such inhuman situations if you have a pet of your own.
