Chotu - the wonder puppy.

I first met Chotu when he was couple of weeks old. A scrawny and gawky little fur ball who was trying very hard to convince us to give him something to eat. Chotu must have just learnt to walk then. His tiny fur-feet trembled when he tried hard to walk towards us. He made a perfect clown of himself. Most people who sat at the run down shack drinking sweet tea and biting into some bread, biscuit, cookies etc hardly noticed this tiny inconspicuous clown and his antics. I visited this shack just to spend time with Chotu - feed him and feed my soul with a tiny portion of happiness.

Ever since I met Chotu and his mother and some more kith and kin of his, I began looking forward to my travel trysts to my work place – a good 150 kms every day. Unfortunately, few days after I got to know Chotu and his mom, his mother died a mysterious death - a death that many Indian Pariahs experience - poisoning !!

Despite having many dogs and puppies around me near the workplace and home, Chotu has been the second one who has managed to convince me that the Indian Pariahs are not only a resilient breed, they are also very sensitive, loving and intelligent lots. I always look forward to meeting the floppy eared, smiling eyed wobbly legged pup who has an attitude that of a king. Unless one was to play with Chotu, one can never convince this pup to eat. He has always been a very sensitive puppy and responded well to love; beyond food and water.

The last three weeks had been spent trying to find Chotu a loving home befitting him and his temperament. I am pretty sure that if I had a home of my own, I’d have taken him in, in a heartbeat. But I live with 4 cats and am wondering if they will accept him and, he them. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find this young and loving fellow a proper home as of now but, there is an enclosed food stall near my apartment and the owner agreed to adopt Chotu. He was expected to come home with me on one of the days; unfortunately, as I do not have a vehicle of my own, I could not get Chotu on the planned day and after a long weekend, when I got to Noida, I found Chotu lying huddled in a corner – cold, wet, emaciated, listless and almost lifeless. It was heart wrenching to see life almost ebbing out of such a vivacious bundle of joy. I was fervently hoping to find a colleague, any colleague who would permit me to take Chotu to SPCA so that the vets could start treating him with proper medicines. Both Chotu and I were lucky as, a colleague of mine offered her car and another offered to drive us to the hospital. Chotu, the wonder pup had contracted the deadly ‘Parvo’. The doctor who saw Chotu was prompt to put him on drips and start the treatment immediately. Since Monday, 17th August 2009, Chotu has been battling for his tiny life at SPCA. My heart bleeds every waking moment when I think how much that tiny body is enduring.

Yet, when I visit Chotu every day, he greets me with a wagging tail and his eyes follow my movements. He responds to my calls by a simple gesture of looking at me and pleading me to stay by his side. When I pick him up and cradle him in my arm, he licks my palm till he is exhausted and just sleeps contently like a child in its mother’s arm. Calm, comforted, secure, trusting.

If hope is something that the optimists have and if I have recognised the loving and yet, the fighting spirit in Chotu, I know that if he survives and is discharged from SPCA, he has a home and a bigger family – four cats and a mom. Chotu – the tiny wonder-pup!!