My house was a pet free zone for as long as I can remember. In fact, the thought of having a dog never came to mind until my brother’s friend told him about this pug in a kennel who was being abused. My brother visited the kennel and just couldn’t resist bringing her home as a gift for my mother.
The 3-year-old pug didn’t have a name and grew up amidst ferocious breeds and wasn’t really taken care of well. She was malnourished and bony. We named her Cady.
My mother started nourishing her to an extent where we did not really have to visit the veterinarian. Within a year, Cady became a healthy and happy dog. Just when things were going well, Cady fell down from the first floor one day. She didn’t bleed but she was unconscious. We all felt like it was the end of the world. But within a few seconds, she became normal, rushed into the house and drank water.
Cady had impressed a lot of people with her loving nature. My brother’s friends would often come home to play with her.
During these days, I was away from home in Bengaluru and Cady didn’t know me very well. She took time to accept me as a family member.
For her, my brother was everything. He saved her life from the kennel and showered her with love and affection. For someone who has never related to animals, Cady’s presence changed things for me. She became so attached that I couldn’t imagine waking up without seeing her face and wagging tail. When my bother and I started working, Cady really missed us. We would return home quite late at night but Cady stayed awake to see us. She would run downstairs barking and wagging her tail.
I learnt how pugs are through my best friend’s dogs. Their expressions tell you everything. They will take revenge by not eating well and would ignore you until you are sorry for what you did. On the other hand, pugs are very sensitive and will console you just by being with you during a time of need.
Cady goes for a walk twice a day with my mother. She knows her timings that she starts wagging her tail at exactly 5 pm as a reminder.
When my mother is doing her pooja, she stands outside and waits. She is well mannered that she doesn’t enter the pooja room or the kitchen — something we taught her from the beginning.
Caddy is so giving that we have helped ourselves by adopting her. When we planned to move into a bigger house we actually waited for one year just to find a place that didn’t restrict pets.
She is a baby doll in the house who doesn’t grow old. I’ve learnt how to be sensitive towards things because of her. I will now take that extra step to feed stray dogs that I meet on the streets. I always have a packet of biscuits in my handbag. Sometimes I even buy bananas for the cows.
Nowadays, my day starts and ends with her. Cady is as important as my mother is to me.