BENGALURU: A pet parent has announced a Rs 50,000 reward to whoever finds his missing golden five-year-old labrador.
Sujit Nair, who is part of the senior management of a concierge company, decided to put a reward out because he believes someone kidnapped Glitter (who also goes by the name ‘Glittu’). “I just wanted my baby back, no matter what the cost,” he says.
He had taken Glitter from his friend five years ago, to gift his wife (then girlfriend) for her birthday.
“Glitter is family,” he says. “They (pets) are the reason people like me have some sanity in life, considering we all have become mere machines working to earn a better living each day.”
On February 23, the lab ran out of the gatefor a quick trot around the neighbourhood and never made it back. Her frantic parents have launched a massive search.
They pasted more than 700 posters across Kormangala, put posts on social networking sites that were shared more than 1,500 times, placed paper inserts, did two radio interviews, went on searches day and night, looked at shelters, met a few breeders in the guise of buying a new pup, lodged a police complaint and took military help in scanning their grounds. For a week, they had organised search parties with neighbours and were out till 4 am. Sujit and his wife have even consulted dog psychics.
She was lost in ST Bed Layout, near Mantri Classic Apartments in Koramangala. But since it has been two weeks, Sujit suspects she could be anywhere. “So, anyone and everyone, please keep a look out for her on the road, garbage bins, breeders and shelter homes,” he pleads.
It is not easy spotting her from the many, many golden/white labradors. But some of the identifiers are that she was last wearing a red collar, is short and not fat. “She has a lump on her tail,” says Sujit. “It is not visible to naked eye, but if you roll your hands on her tail, you’d feel the big bulge... She is a complete watch dog, so you’d hear her barking if she smells a new dog or unusual around her.”
The help that has come in has been overwhelming, he says. “Our campaign on FB went viral... We were shocked to see the number of people who came forward to offer help.” People found dogs in breeder homes, fought with the breeders and informed Sujit. Some finished work early to help with the search for Glitter.
“We used to bump randomly into eight to ten people at 2 am and 3 am looking for our Glitter, which was just too emotional for us,” he says, adding that they feel immense gratitude to all those who went out of their way to trace her.
Sujit has already microchipped his other dog, a 10-year-old male labrador, “to ensure no more tragedies occur.”