Furry friends, they say.

We have come a long way from buying animals to now offering free adoption, even the ones that come with a pedigree. One would think; why are breeds being abandoned?

I remember one of my aunts asking me, “What breed is it?” I proudly said, “It’s an Indie.” She seemed confused. And then I corrected myself, saying, “It’s a stray.”

She seemed disdainful.

A person will quantify their success with the number of things they possess — education, background, job, business, marriage, house, cars, jewellery, second homes, properties, investments, insurance, security — and it goes on and on. But when the list ends, momentarily, it’s time to get a pup… oh, and it has to be a male.

I’ve come across so many cases of Huskies, Saint Bernards, Beagles, Shih Tzus and Apsos being abandoned that now there are welfare foundations working towards finding them their forever homes.

Wasn’t the previous home their forever one?

Well, it is the dog’s fault. They stopped looking cute and being playful, sat in one corner due to age-related ailments, and finally had no aesthetic value anymore. Just a lump that smells dirty, sleeps the whole day and eats free meals. “Let’s get rid of it and give it to a shelter. At least we are not abandoning him.”

Well, this is the usual case

In other cases, it’s “Oh my God, this dog is costing us a lot. Very high maintenance! What do we do now?”

“Let’s leave it on the road, in a secluded dead end, in the forest, or outside a foundation.”

Imagine this.

You are a six-year-old child and you go for a drive with your parents. They stop the car in the middle of a highway, with no one around, and decide to take a walk. They ask you to wait until they get something from the car. You see them walking towards the car. They sit inside and drive away. You freeze. You may think they are coming back in some time. You wait until it starts getting darker. You run frantically in the direction they went. You keep running until your body is tired, and then hide behind a tree to protect yourself from predators.

Remember, you are a six-year-old child!

And this is exactly how an animal that has been so cared for in its formative years feels once it has been abandoned.

We need a system! A documented process for adopting!

So, the next time you think you want to adopt, think not twice, but multiple times. Think mentally, emotionally, socially, physically, financially and, most importantly, caringly. Abandonment of pet animals is a serious matter and can have legal consequences.

Please take things seriously and act responsibly.

Better Care Begins Here!

Abandoned …and how!!