The next story in the Give Animals a brake series is of Christina, who transitioned from a scrawny mother dog to a plump dog with a bossy attitude.
It was 5th September 2007. I remember the date for two reasons; it was Teacher’s Day and it was raining heavily that day. In that downpour, a stray mother dog was staring at the remains of her pups who had been mowed down perhaps one after the other in seconds. If numbness could be defined, her eyes had to be seen, she was in utter shock and grief. It was meaningless to have offered her food then. I patted her on the head to which she did not respond. I noted her location and Maa took over from the following day.
With daily feeding, she began to gain weight. With time, she began to emote. She had a short bulb type tail which she began to wag. In two months thereon, she was taken for spaying. She returned to her premises and began to live for herself, putting a forever stop to repeated cycles of delivering pups that took a toll on her emotionally, physically as well as physiologically. In six months, she was unrecognizable. She was a plump dog who began to boss around in her area. That is the confidence that comes with love and care and the magic that spaying weaves.
Her life turned upside down when in March 2009, a car ran her down damaging her pelvic bones. She was given the best care by a local compassionate vet but back then, the veterinary facilities were very limited in Baroda for advanced care so Maa took her to a different city wherein there was a renowned veterinary college. However, they refused to look at Christina because she was a stray, who could cause rabies, ignoring that she was spayed and vaccinated against rabies. Fast forward 2024, although times have changed and there is hope, there is no denying there is still discrimination in terms of the care that strays receive. As for Christina, she had to be let go with dignity. It was a painful one for my mother because she had nursed her back to good health, been with her in good and bad times and it was a brutal end to a beautiful soul that had every right to live her full life.
There are countless strays like Christina who die an untimely and brutal death because they are considered less worthy of a brake. To speak up for animals like Christina, write to info@bridgingrainbows.org to take part in the Give Animals a Brake campaign.
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