In the evening, when I rush back home from office, I walk past a food court to take-away my dinner. Near the food court, I often see a number of stray dogs hovering around, waiting to pounce upon any food wastage or any leftover food. Often people shoo them away, but I try not to get affected by their presence. Although I have not had any pet, I know dogs would not hurt you until you hurt them first — and hence have a soft corner for them.

The stray dogs, there, are present in huge number, and comprise of all shapes and sizes. But there was one particular dog that caught my attention — I do not know what race or breed he was, but he surely was a lovable character. Over a period of time, we developed an acquaintance with each other. He would see me from a distance and would come running towards me. Whatever, my day would have been at the office, his reaction to me was always the same.

As time passed, I also liked his company. I would make sure that I always have some dog food in my bag to feed him. As he munch down his food, I would observe him and those were good 15–20 mins of my daily routine. Often, the other stray dogs would also jump in, and I was happy to feed them as well.

This went on for a while, and my affection for the dog kept on increasing. The more I observed him, more I was able to to put a lot of things in perspective in my own life — and it was indeed making me a happier person.

I. Between the two of us, he was the happier one.

Imagine living on a street, not knowing where to get your daily bread from, and yet knowing the art to forever remain cheerful. This is something I learnt from him.

Life can put us through the toughest of circumstances, but it is we who decide whether to traverse them happily or sadly. Our happiness is in our own hands.

II. He knew how to shower love.

He would often follow me, roll around, come sit by my side — in one way or another he was teaching me how to be affectionate, and demonstrate that someone holds a special place in our lives. People may have a special place in our lives, but it is equally important to reflect that through our actions.

III. I did not see him complaining.

Even on days when I would not have food for him, his reaction to me was no different. He was happy to find food else where. May be he was yearning more for my company than for the food.

IV. He lived in the moment.

I don’t think he ever had any purpose in life, but was never seem to be bothered by it. He lived in the moment, and was quite content with it. He had nothing yet had so much gratitude towards life, whereas I was the exact opposite.

As time went by, I realized how much I was enjoying his company, and how having a pet can be so therapeutic in our lives. And, there was so much to learn from him — that I was planning to adopt him in some day. I had a slight inhibition within myself, about having a pet that requires us to be more responsible and take care of them properly. However, I was sure to get past that in some time. I had even thought of a name for him — since he was the louder between the two of us, I would call him “The Louder Monk”.

Time was passing by quickly, and I had gone past my inhibitions and was ready for adoption.

However, as I went to the food court as per my daily routine, I was surprised to not find him there. I panicked and started asking the food court owners about the same.

Upon my enquiry, I was told that the government agency had taken him to the shelter home the previous night, and would be euthanizing them, as a part of their efforts to reduce stray dogs.

I immediately ran to the shelter home, but was a bit too late. All it took was a drug injection and within 30 seconds, the dog was no more.

What they told me, was that the dog did not even make any noise.

That dog, within a very short period of time, had become a big part of my life. I did not know how to react, but I definitely felt some pain deep inside, and may be a feeling of loneliness.

(Source: https://spots.com/animal-euthanasia-statistics/)
(Source: https://pawsomeadvice.com/pets/animal-shelter-statistics/)
Please share your reflection of what having a pet means to you. 👏are optional, but they sure make us happy.
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