Once upon a Time There Was a Puppy

She wanted to survive.

Once upon a time, there was a puppy, and all she wanted was to bask in the gentle sun, play with her siblings, find a meal that she could stomach, and sleep in a spot that was not life-threatening.

Once upon a time, there were people.

The summers here are cruel though and I have to wake up early to walk my dog. She is everything beautiful, silly, and sweet packed in 32 kilos medium-sized rottweiler body.

And because her coat is black and thick, it attracts a lot more heat so walking early and coming back before the sun gets harsh makes sense.

Last Sunday, we cheated and slept in. Since the walk was non-negotiable, we went out anyway and had all the intentions to make it quick and come back and sleep some more.

However, the Universe had different plans.

As we were walking, I heard a puppy whimper in the distance. The whimper was so weak I could hardly figure out where it was coming from and had to keep looking until finally, a palm-sized puppy dragged her tiny body out from the bushes planted on the side of the road.

She was covered in mud which had dried on her body due to the harsh sun. She could hardly move but she was trying her best, her little body embodying big hopes of making it through the day.

What do you do when you find a puppy in this situation? You pick the puppy and head home.

My dog Kira gets uncomfortable around puppies, it is as if she does not know what to make out of such a small presence which in a normal scenario is very jumpy, nosy, and playful.

So she refrains from making any interaction and gets on with her business but at the same time, she is very welcoming to my interaction with them.

While I was tending to the puppy, she was watching us from her favorite corner.

As the puppy came home her weak whimpers began to echo in my almost empty apartment. To be honest, I was not sure if she was going to make it and began to consider canceling my plans that I made with a friend that day after ages.

I placed the puppy under a slow stream of room-temperature water and began rubbing the mud gently off her tiny body.

Gentle circular motions with my fingertips, on the back of her neck, her back, her tiny thread-like tail. She continued to whimper and made several attempts to jump out of my hands but I managed to flip her over to clean her torso.

Within a few minutes, she was a clean big peanut in my hands. Before I could soak her dry, she passed out in my hands as the weight of exhaustion was taken off her tiny shoulders.

Her stomach was bloated and I was not sure if she would eat. But a lot of times, your next course of action with a dog or a puppy depends on their food intake.

I fed her and to my surprise, she ate! She nibbled on her food for some time before passing out again like a log. No sound or movement could wake her up.

Watching a puppy sleep as if they know that they are safe now is nothing less than a therapy if not better.

Kira kept watching us from a distance and slipped into slumber soon after.

As they both were sleeping in their respective corners, I managed to see my friend for a bit.

Living in the moment can get tricky in situations like these but thanks to some amazing friends I have, they always have open hearts and ears to listen to all my concerns and empathize.

To my utmost pleasure when I returned home the puppy had finished the remaining food, had emptied her bowls, and was sleeping. Never had I felt so happy about the mess in my apartment.

Soon after, she was up, running around and sniffing the hell out of her curiosity. Kira and I went out for our evening walk and reunited the puppy with her mum who was waiting at the same spot.

These are the times that remind you that a life is just a life, irrespective of the shape or form, and deserves to be treated with love and kindness.

And, a mother is just a mother who never stops waiting for her children.

Love,

P.