A tale of two lives

Pandemic Pets

Many dogs became family members to relieve the lockdown boredom of their new owners. But once the world opened up many of these furry friends became homeless.

Adity Roy Nair

As the virus struck and lockdown kept getting extended indefinitely, people found themselves locked inside apartments with no social contact. Many reached out to animal shelters and breeders to take in a pup to relieve their loneliness. Some parents adopted them to keep their children busy while their zoom calls remained undisturbed. Many took to the new companion responsibly -- giving it the needed time and effort. But there were those too who were where overwhelmed by the responsibility a pet brought.

Aditi Sengupta, a trustee at Maruthy Dog Shelter in Ksavanahalli is livid at the way pups have been picked up by families during the pandemic and indiscriminately abandoned. “The shelter is at the receiving end of people who pick up pets as toys for their kids and abandon them when the responsibility gets too overwhelming and this has happened so often that its beyond infuriating”.

Dr Ansar Kamaran, a PhD in veterinary medicine, runs a pet clinic in HSR Layout and says he has seen a definite rise in the number of pet owners visiting his clinic during the pandemic. “Prices of certain breeds like Labradors, golden retrievers and beagles have almost doubled. These dogs have a good temperament and are most suited to apartment living,” says Dr Kamaran.

Both Dr Ansar and Aditi agree that most of this pandemic pet indulgence has been to give children “a live toy.” “New dog owners did not realise that the live toy needs cleaning up, needs to be fed at regular intervals, will cry out of separation anxiety from its mother and siblings. Basically, a pup needs considerable cost and commitment to maintain,” says Aditi.

She further states that once the puppy becomes four to five months old and loses its, ‘cute puppy stage’ they were dropped at the shelter with excuses like, ‘schools have opened and work has resumed and there’s no one to look after the pup at home, or I have to get back to my “native”, or I just shifted to a new place and the landlord does not allow pets. “Did they not factor in all these when they indulged in taking on the responsibility of a life?” she asks indignantly.

She tells about a family who had taken a Lab pup and entrusted the entire responsibility of the pup to their kids and when the pup developed heart issues they dropped the pup at the shelter requesting for a retriever pup instead! “And then,” she goes on to say, “there was a person who took a fancy to an exotic high activity dog like the Belgian Malinoise and had to dump it at his upcoming construction site because his wife refused to allow the dog into their two-bedroom apartment. Fortunately for the dog a seasoned Malinoise owner gave the two-month puppy a home. How do you justify such irresponsible behavior?” she asks.

Both Dr Ansar and Aditi emphasise on the fact that a puppy can never be a toy for a child. “If you want a toy pick up a soft toy,” says Aditi. She also says her institution has decided to say no to adoption during the pandemic. “Humans need a lot of education and sensitisation to understand a pet. A pet becomes a part of your family when you bring it home. It needs nurturing like a child does in the first few months. When children grow up around pets they learn compassion and responsibility from a young age”.

Pampered pets

Meanwhile, there are those who love their four-legged housemates to such an extent that once the lockdown lifted they didn’t leave them home alone. But headed to a place where they could bond with their pets.

Raksha Arun

Looking for a place to spend time and create memories with your dog? You have a new destination – dog cafe. “Struggling through the day and not getting time to spend time with my dog, worries me a lot. When I discovered the concept of a dog café, I heaved a sigh of relief. Now I have a place where I can socialise with my dog,” says Garvit Garg, a pet parent.

At the same Gravit found a place to detox in. “A dog’s day out is mandatory and such places make that easy. Both the pet parent and the pet can enjoy themselves unrestricted,” says he.

Being around animals, specifically dogs, makes people happier. Dogs with their purest love, give out a feeling of trust and belongingness. “The best way to get rid of all your worries is to take yourself and your cuddlesome buddy out to a cafe which caters to dogs.To me it has always been fun and exciting every time I go out to a dog cafe. There my dog gets to socialise