Change of Heart

"Su Let's get a pet home", Sanju started one evening, just after I had returned from a frustrating day at work.  I almost dropped my teacup.  He had broached the subject earlier too and had won a minor battle when I had consented to have fish at home. "I am not going to clean the tank or feed the fish or anything related to them" was my refrain then, but he had beamed like a little kid who'd got its favourite reward even at that.  In fact it was a repeat of the scene when he had suggested we could have plants at home.  When we moved into the new house last year in May, the first arrival was a lovely plant gifted by our equally lovely friend, Bassy.  I couldn't say no.

Pet though was a different story altogether.  I'm allergic mentally to sight, sound and smell of any animal, let alone dog.  At best I can appreciate them in movies, documentaries, pictures and (with great reluctance) in stories friends tell about their pets!  I almost threw up once hearing the tale of a friend who tended to his friend's iguana!

My initial thought was that I was being teased.  Sanju knows my visceral aversion to animals inside home. Anything cooped up stinks (think of zoos, your biology labs from school which housed mice, guinea pigs, etc).  And, I cannot simply bring myself to bear any of that for a second.  A life time of it is inconceivable even as a nightmare.

I was wrong.  Sanju started pestering. He even tried emotional stuff. "You'd be soon going away for a year.  I'd be alone at home.  You know I get scared to stay alone in the night.  If I have a pet - a dog - I wouldn't be". I lost my cool, shouted at him and banged the door and retired for the night.  How could he do this to me!! In the morning - when I had sufficiently composed myself - I said, "You know how I feel about having pets.  I cannot think of having any animal with myself in a confined place.  Also, it is not good for even the animal we bring in. Having a pet is a great responsibility.  Please understand.  Do not broach this again".  I didn't give him a chance to respond.  I left for work.

I hate dogs, let me be honest.  I hate them because I am scared of them.  I am scared of their barks, their growls.  I am scared to run on the roads because of dogs.  There have been occasions when I have taken different path when I have seen a pack of dogs.  Or even a single dog in a narrow lane! Because of my fear I have even bitten by a dog once.  And, now to have that same beast at home gave me the heebeejeebies!!

I felt bad that I'd got annoyed with Sanju.  But, I still believed it was his fault.  Even though I called him and texted him umpteen times, I didn't say sorry.  I expected him to say it! A couple of days went by.  Sanju reduced his demand for the pet.  I heaved a sigh of relief.  Life went on and I thought I'd crossed that major hurdle!

I have this facebook friend who is a great animal friend and has many rescued animals at her place as pets.  Like all loyal facebook friends I had happily liked all her stories on facebook about her dogs; once I even had the gall to say, "How I'd love to meet your pets" when I NEVER wanted to! She also blogs (and writes beautifully - with loads of wit and heart).  At this time when I was smarting at Sanju's demand, I saw the post on my friend's blog that was about her adopted bulldog, Jigar (read it here: http://theaccidentalsufi.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/piece-of-my-heart/) which ended with the line, "I hope anyone reading this post will consider adopting an abandoned and suffering animal".

I was truly moved by what I read (and understood the phrase, 'the power of the pen').  All those notions about pets vanished from my head and I truly felt I had wronged.  Sanjay and the pet that could (have) be(en) in our lives.  I immediately wrote to her on facebook on how I'd make amends.  The next day (I was in Kolar, visiting parents) when I returned to Bangalore and met Sanju in the evening, I told him he could go ahead and get the pet he wanted.  I also told him how Dame A's post on her blog had brought in a change of heart.  He of course was joyous! But, what he said was powerful.  "Thank you Su.  I am very happy that you have agreed to having a pet.  But, more than that I am happy coz you have allowed me to make the choice".  Reminded me of the story of King Arthur and the witch.

When I suggested that we might adopt an abandoned dog Sanju wasn't too keen to begin with. He was keen on having a dog that wouldn't bark too much and isn't too big (he too is scared of dogs but still wants to have a pet!). He had kind of zeroed in on beagles.  Dame A too suggested we have a pup instead to start with as we hadn't ever had a dog before.

As luck would have it he bumped into some animal activists online who guided him to visit CUPA centre at the Silk Board Junction, apart from imparting the right gyan on what kind of dog to have ("Beagles are a no-no Su! They, it seems bark a lot" Sanju told me and went on to add, "Su, do you know? Labradors are amazing I believe").  A visit to CUPA by Sanjay led him to meet Kade, an abandoned Labrador-Indie.  He called me to tell about him.  I said, "We are adopting him".  "But meet him once Su" Sanju said.  "No, you have liked him and we'll have him".  Sanju wouldn't relent and insisted I go to CUPA too.  I was - as usual - petrified.  There were scores of dogs - even a rottweiler pup, supposedly ferocious (as shown in some C grade English movie I'd watched many centuries ago).  I couldn't stay there for too long but Kade had made an impression on me too.

The rest is history friends! Today Kade is at home (and is fondly called Kadey - Kay-Dee by us all; Kadey means villain in Kannada - can mean naughty too).  I've now moved to the Hague.  And, it's not even three days and I am mightily missing him.  To the extent that I have even begun to play with the dogs that are brought for a walk here by others!

And, influenced by Sanju, Bassy too has adopted - Penny.  He has gone two past us and has two kittens too! Also, Biswa and Debu have adopted Jason.  All from CUPA.  Feels good.  May there be more adoptions.