Doggy Tales - Of Dogs and Their Owners

In school we were often asked to write essays on our favourite animal. 

In the era void of internet and wikipedia, each one of us would wrack brains and struggle to write on exotic animals, finally settling in for animals such as the horse, giraffe, turtle, kangaroo (irrespective of favourite or not).

We wrote on anything other than rat, cat, dog. 

These animals were too common and too stray to be written on.

When my son was in 4th grade, they too were asked to write an essay on their favourite animal. 

One of his classmate said his favourite animal was...Amoeba. 

Perhaps he wanted to be unique or  maybe he was fascinated by its extreme ability of shapeless nest. 

Being born in a country abundant with stray dogs, many years later I realised in all honesty, my favourite animal was and is...

the unconditionally affectionate, loving and faithful 'Indian Stray Dog'.

Just as stray cows are an integral part of Indian roads, stray dogs are an integral part of every Parsi colony.  

If you live in a Parsi colony, a non dog lover has no choice but to love them for the fear of rubbing the wrong side of die hard dog lovers, who will ensure they make your life dog-bearable. 

One may not have a family doctor but every Parsi will have a family stray dog, that will untill his last breath, live outside around their house. The dog or dogs, will be fed lovingly every night on clear bones. 

Just as one can have 'Clear Chicken Soup', our colony dogs thrived on clear chicken bones ( bones completely void of chicken that had been devoured by strict non vegetarian Parsi's).
Clear bones were good for removing the plaque and strengthening the dogs teeth (so we believed).

Only the Bengalis can compete with the Parsi's when it comes to clean and clear bone deliverance of a non vegetarian dish.

Bengalis can mince fish bones that even a shark wont.

( The bengali will dress the border of his plate with minced fish bones, whereas the shark will only gulp it down whole).

Apart from daily dinners ,the dog was supported by an unfailing life insurance where in all medical expenses would be taken care of.

The stray dog is the guard and guardian of the family, and also includes in his amicable sniff list the friends of the family, and 'neighbours who are friends' of the family.

They would guard a little and bark a lot (it was probably more of their personal conversation) all night through, while the Parsi Bawas slept peacefully. 

At Sunrise, exhausted, they'd curl up and go into deep sleep till... sunset.

It was only when my husband refused to stay overnight at his in-law's house because the dogs barked too loud and too long through the night, we realised how angelic-ly they guarded our house. 

Since then, 

our love and respect for a dog's life grew many folds 

Where as,

my Non Parsi husband saw an obsessive side of us.... 

of dog lovers, untold.    

Each and every stray dog in a Parsi colony is christened with a unique name (which doubles up as a unique identification number), original and akin to its colour, personality order/disorder, facial expressions or body size and shape. 

(How else would we be able to fight with the set of unfriendly neighbours, for the love and respect of our dog, if it did not have a proper name and identification?) 

• Off-White was our family dog for many years. His coat colour was (no prizes for guessing)...off white.

• After which an abandoned big bully dog named  Lester... ('Mo' was the prefix which was kept silent),     possessively attached himself to my dad aka 'Vaid Vet.' as he had cared for him (and all other dogs) when very very ill.                                 Parsi's do not believe in rebirth, but my dad managed to give a new life to many dying dogs. 

• Peanut....was the colour of unshelled peanuts
• Cheru...the dog who always loved to climb on you 
• Koyli (which means rotten in Parsi gujarati)....had rotten teeth  in spite of daily clear bone treat 
• Kaani ....slightly cockeyed
• Spacey....another of our family dog, was totally blind, always looking into space                     

• Laambi (too long)...had an abnormally long body and very short legs
• Tuki (too short)...had an exceptionally short tail
• Aero....was slim with an aero dynamic arrow shaped body
• Jimmy Choo....chewed on many peoples shoes
• Michael....who had an awkward gait
• Meechu....the son and ardent follower of his father Jimmy Choo

The king of them all was Tigerrrr (big, well built, handsome and arrogant) ...he lived in the premises of our colony Agiary (fire temple). 

He threateningly growled from inside the gate when any Parsi tried to enter the Agiary. 

On the gate it was written
 "Non Parsi's not allowed".

Parsi or not, entry to the Agiary was at the mercy of Tigerrrr the great.

Tigerrr's tradition was carried on by his son Tommy Grrrr (similar in built and behaviour).
who did not let any Parsi in through the gate.

  

Tigerrrr had a son (who looked exactly like him height, built and arrogance ) named Tommy Grrrr.

        

Our dogs were also a part and parcel of colony rhymes and conversations .... 

"aajey Meechoo Peanut ney khai gayo" 

(Meechu and Peanut had a fight in which Meechu almost gobbled up Peanut).

"Jimmy chewed 

Katy's Louis Vuitton 

in seconds so few,

as compared to Soli's Bata shoe, 

which he chewed 

on and on 

till Soli suddenly discovered 

he had nothing on".

People staying outside and around our Parsi colonies, aware of our undying puppy love, parcelled litters and litters of unwanted pups in jute bags and abandoned them at our doorsteps. 

They knew they had done a good deed, 

For they had relocated a stray dog in need. 

A Parsi would give it not just love and a good home 

but also plenty to feed.

My mom always professed...  

if you find a homeless pet dog....leave it in a Parsi colony, 

if you find a homeless pet cat .... leave it in a fish market 

and if you catch a rat in your house....leave it at the railway station.

It is the golden rule for their survival.

Our colony had also been blessed with abandoned breeds like old and haggard Alsatians, angry Terriers and a graceful but frightened hound, which were immediately lapped up by dog loving families.

Life in a Parsi colony is always full of fun & frolic "maja masti",

And it would be incomplete without the strays on our street.  

As a tribute to my favourite animal, I wish to pen the stories of Dogs and their Owners.

Time and dog willing, I will pen a series, of the Dogs that have graced my life and enriched my time....unconditionally.