The PSS (Public Service for the Stray) is a very caring and helpful organization for the public. It mainly helps the stray animals even though the adopted ones also come.

Cats and dogs are in large number here. They are the animals that get into trouble the most with people. They either steal food from the marketplace or get chased by the shopkeeper or get into an accident in a busy
traffic area. They usually come in with bruises or broken limbs.
Here, at the PSS, the doctors, nurses and other helpers and volunteers (like me) have a special knack to calm the animals down and treat them. Some of them get into so much trouble that they come here regularly, either for check ups or emergency medication! For example: Bingo, a Dalmatian who is about 4 years old keeps getting into trouble on the streets and ends up here at least once a month. But, there was an incident that occurred where the doctors or nurses couldn't control the animal.

It all started at the PSS, there was an emergency case that dealt with a cat. It had an injured leg. The police brought him in saying that a two-wheeler ran over his leg. A doctor and a nurse took him into the operation theatre to treat his leg when he suddenly sat up with the shivering leg and started to hiss and scratch anyone who would go near him. The doctors were worried that if he wasn't treated immediately, it could
become very severe.

The doctors didn't know what to do as the pets that came here were familiar and stayed calm. They were only worried about his leg. They tried to strap him down with a belt, but he wouldn't stay still. This cat was new to the neighborhood. Perhaps, its owner was too lazy to feed him so he was left in the streets.

I stood there watching the poor cat scratching and hissing with the pain in its leg. I kept on observing the cat for a while, then the surrounding atmosphere. There were doctors and other people running around here and there with operating tools and other fearsome looking items such as scissors and knives. Was he an arrogant cat?
Finally, it struck me like lightning that the cat wasn't arrogant, he was just scared. So I suddenly shouted for everyone to stop what they were doing and to stand still. They all suddenly stopped because I wasn't the kind of person who would raise my voice in a hospital. Even the cat stopped. Then, I slowly moved towards the cat who sat on the table. He looked at me with watery eyes. I went as close as a foot from it when it suddenly scratched my hand with its sharp paws. But I stood still, even though blood was pouring out of my hand. The cat stopped and looked into my eyes. Then he suddenly leapt into my arms. It was a wonderful sight. The understanding between a  human and an animal. Then a  sudden outburst of applause came from all the sides.

Later on, the cat cooled down and calmly underwent the operation. I was with him the whole time. He stayed in the hospital for another two days. He was to be sent to the stray shelter, as he had no home. But, the friendship we had between us was so strong that I decided to adopt him as my cat.

After I took him home, I named him Lucky because I felt we were both lucky to have each other and as for my hand, I had it treated too. So, here I am narrating to you the story of a beautiful friendship.

Komal S Kooduvalli
7th 'B' (ICSE), Sri Kumaran Public School Bangalore