<p>A mother dog in our locality had pups and would bring them along on her walks in our backyard. We soon noticed that the littlest pup--the runt of the litter--was being picked on. The others would bite its tiny bum or pounce on it from behind. Even the mother often scolded it for lagging behind, sometimes nipping it sharply to discipline it. The poor creature tried to keep up but often ended up sitting alone, too tired to run. </p>.<p>Over time, it became clear that the runt had been abandoned. Its family had probably moved on to some other place, leaving the weakling to fend for itself. It did not trouble us and learned to scavenge for leftovers and seemed to find peace in its own company.</p>.<p>As it grew, so did its appetite, but it remained really thin. We began feeding it scraps of meat and rice at lunch, bread and milk in the mornings. In the evenings and nights, it would disappear again, roaming the streets. Then one day it returned with a limp. Seeing it move so slowly and painfully broke our hearts. It was impossible to take it to vet; nervous and skittish it would dart away at our approach.</p>.<p>Now it stayed out of sight, sleeping in the shade of trees or curled in leaf litter. I named it Jimmy to call it for food. And soon it responded to the calls: “Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, aaja, aaja, aaja!” Our domestic help, Lily, who has a soft spot for all critters, took responsibility for making sure he ate properly and drank enough water.</p>.<p>Even though he tried not to trouble us, Jimmy’s natural instinct caused problems. He would dig up the earth or flatten our precious plants in the night. It became clear that he needed a proper home. We had to find him a home. Once again, Lily stepped in and found a family in her neighbourhood who had lost their old dog and wanted another.</p>.<p>A young man and woman arrived on a bike to take him away. They brought a large gunny bag to carry him. Some instinct must have told Jimmy that these people were his new parents and he did not scuttle away as they came towards him. They put him in the bag and though he struggled at first, the young woman eased his head out and cradled him in her arms. </p>.<p>Jimmy seemed overjoyed. He appeared to be so happy to be cuddled that he could not stop smiling! He allowed himself to be carried off, his grin so wide, he could have eaten a banana sideways! Jimmy had found his home.</p>.<p><em>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)</em></p>
<p>A mother dog in our locality had pups and would bring them along on her walks in our backyard. We soon noticed that the littlest pup--the runt of the litter--was being picked on. The others would bite its tiny bum or pounce on it from behind. Even the mother often scolded it for lagging behind, sometimes nipping it sharply to discipline it. The poor creature tried to keep up but often ended up sitting alone, too tired to run. </p>.<p>Over time, it became clear that the runt had been abandoned. Its family had probably moved on to some other place, leaving the weakling to fend for itself. It did not trouble us and learned to scavenge for leftovers and seemed to find peace in its own company.</p>.<p>As it grew, so did its appetite, but it remained really thin. We began feeding it scraps of meat and rice at lunch, bread and milk in the mornings. In the evenings and nights, it would disappear again, roaming the streets. Then one day it returned with a limp. Seeing it move so slowly and painfully broke our hearts. It was impossible to take it to vet; nervous and skittish it would dart away at our approach.</p>.<p>Now it stayed out of sight, sleeping in the shade of trees or curled in leaf litter. I named it Jimmy to call it for food. And soon it responded to the calls: “Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, aaja, aaja, aaja!” Our domestic help, Lily, who has a soft spot for all critters, took responsibility for making sure he ate properly and drank enough water.</p>.<p>Even though he tried not to trouble us, Jimmy’s natural instinct caused problems. He would dig up the earth or flatten our precious plants in the night. It became clear that he needed a proper home. We had to find him a home. Once again, Lily stepped in and found a family in her neighbourhood who had lost their old dog and wanted another.</p>.<p>A young man and woman arrived on a bike to take him away. They brought a large gunny bag to carry him. Some instinct must have told Jimmy that these people were his new parents and he did not scuttle away as they came towards him. They put him in the bag and though he struggled at first, the young woman eased his head out and cradled him in her arms. </p>.<p>Jimmy seemed overjoyed. He appeared to be so happy to be cuddled that he could not stop smiling! He allowed himself to be carried off, his grin so wide, he could have eaten a banana sideways! Jimmy had found his home.</p>.<p><em>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)</em></p>
