She is only 50-days old. Moody and quiet. But this pure white cross breed of miniature Schnauzer and Indian dog (in the photo on the right), immediately stole the hearts of Ravindra Kumar and family on Sunday afternoon. They had come to know of the Hyderabad Pet Adoption’s first-ever dog adoption drive in the city through a newspaper in the morning. “Our Labrador had died last year and it was a heartbreak for us. Now, it was love at first sight when we saw this white puppy,” said Ravindrakumar, a resident of Sundar Nagar near SR Nagar.
“Female dogs are much more possessive about their owner and are very caring and friendly too,” he added when asked why he adopted a female dog. About 30 puppies between the age group of one and three months were available for adoption on Sunday at the Zoroastrian Club. Female dogs had pink ribbons tied around the neck and males had blue. The new owners posed proudly for photographs with their friends, and pledged their support to the cause of homeless pet adoption.
Among the pets up for adoption were many “survivors”. Two months and one week old Duke, a look alike of Labrador, was quite famous too, among dog lovers, vets and volunteers. Many acknowledged that he was one of the most intelligent pups around. Duke was found injured on the streets near Somajiguda by a dog lover Madhulika five weeks ago.
“It was night 11 pm and I came across this pup which was run over by some car. His hip bone was fractured, stomach had bloated up and the left leg was internally broken into three,” recalled Madhulika. She took him home and nursed him back to health. “I took him to well-known veterinarians. No one thought he would be able to walk but in five weeks, he is running and shows no sign of any accident. It is a miracle. He is a survivor, a warrior and that’s why he is named ‘Duke’,” she said. She did not want to give him up for adoption. “But I have an 8-year-old dog at home and he keeps fighting with Duke. Otherwise, I would have kept him,” she said.
On Sunday, Duke found his new owner. Sultan Sunder, 24, a resident of Marredpally, was an extremely happy man after signing the adoption papers. “I just got a Group D job in Railways and now, I have Duke!” he exclaimed. He had been searching for Indian hunting dogs for some time and had accidentally come across the adoption drive on a website. “I found Duke the most active and attractive dog here. Everyone says he is the most intelligent one. I had no second thoughts. So, I am taking him home,” he added.
Speaking about the Hyderabad Pet Adoption (HPA), Manoj Khurana, HPA administrator, said, “We have been active for the last two years online. We have 12 members in our rescue team and 30 other core volunteers. We do not take donations and spend from our own pockets.” The volunteers rescue puppies on the streets and give medical treatment to the injured before making them available for adoption. Veggie Reddy, another HPA administrator, said, “First, the adopter needs to realise whether he is ready for adoption. It is a commitment for the next 10 years. They cannot be just impulsive while adoption. Only if we are satisfied with the answers during counselling, and the whole family is ready for the commitment, do we go ahead.” The volunteers, trainers and behavioural specialists keep in constant touch with the adopters and also conduct post-adoption inspections and follow-ups.
“We tell them how to maintain a bond with the dog, a few things about maintenance and dog training. The conditioning has to be purely reward-based positive reinforcement for a dog, and not by force,” said Chandrasekhar, who is a certified canine behaviourist from the UK and runs the Progressive Kennels and Dog Training School in Hayatnagar.