AFTER SEVEN ODD YEARS OF GIVING AND RECEIVING unconditional love, Dooey, passed away after a brief illness. It has left the families in “Mukund” (its principal home), “Anizham”, “Sai Villa” and “Sukriti” in a pall of gloom from which it will take some time for them to emerge. I mentioned the four houses because Dooey was, in a manner of speaking, not just a sentinel for them but also part of family too ever since it was picked up seven years ago as a stray pup in search of a home in Kannur. The four houses are all housed in one compound and Dooey was the object of their affection.
IT IS NOT FOR NOTHING THAT A DOG IS termed as man’s best friend and I think it is probably even wrong to call a dog a pet. Dooey not only behaved but it was also recognized as part of the family. It was extraordinarily vigilant and this applied for vehicles too ! If an auto other than the family owned one got past the main gate it would continue to bark unless told that there was no need to ! Dooey loved playing with children ( eight of them in the four houses mentioned) and chasing cats round the house, which incidentally also vied for our attention. It had its own distinct barks that appeared to say ” Time for a Walk” or “Hey, I am hungry too!” and its principal care giver Jesna decoded them easily.
JESNA AND DOOEY HAD THEIR DAILY conversations. Dooey was ailing for about a fortnight. It was in pain and the family which could not bear to see him suffer was even contemplating euthanasia with the vet. The family at Mukund had gone on a day long pilgrimage nearby and when they returned, Dooey placed its face in Jesna’s palms, and after a brief moment collapsed. It was as if Dooey was waiting for them to return. I would like to believe that the family cat Snowy would be missing Dooey too.
WHEN FAMILIES HAVE PETS, THE ELEMENT OF CARING and considerateness gets elevated to a higher plane and when a pet dies, the bereavement is no less than what one experiences when a person in the family departs.
R.I. P. DOOEY.
pradeepgopalan.com 