A home where dogs, cats, a goat, geese, chickens, and a bull can roam freely. A space where their existence is just as important as the humans who live there.
Sowbhagya Venkitesh, dancer, social media influencer, vlogger, and daughter of artist Thara Kalyan, who runs the Thara Kalyan Dance Academy in Thiruvananthapuram, lives in such a home. For any pet lover, her house is nothing short of a paradise.
A lifelong dog lover, Sowbhagya traces her love for dogs back to her childhood. “I used to watch a lot of Japanese anime,” she recalls.
“‘Heidi’, ‘Girl of the Alps’ was my favourite. The girl in that show lived with her grandparents, and so did I, since my parents were working. So I connect with the movie so much. She had a St. Bernard called Josef, and ever since then, I wanted a dog like that,” Soubhagya says. However, her parents made her wait until she was old enough to care for one.
“In Plus Two, they finally got me a dog. I wanted a big breed like a German Shepherd or a Rottweiler, but my mom said no and brought home a pug instead. And that pug became my first pet.”
Today, her home includes six dogs — a Dogo Argentino, two Cane Corsos, a Golden Retriever, a Shih Tzu, an Indie dog, and that same first pug, now 17 years old. But it was only after marrying Arjun Somasekhar, a dancer, actor, and an even bigger animal lover, that her connection with other animals began to grow.
“I can’t explain the bond I have with them. It’s a kind of mad love. People often ask me why I get so upset when something happens to one of them. For us, they are everything. We plan our vacations, our house choices, even our daily routines around them. They are part of every decision,” Sowbhagya explains.
Recently, she took her love for dogs to the next level by stepping into the show ring for the very first time and walking away with the title of Second Best Lady Handler at the Ananthapuri Canine Club’s second open dog show in Thiruvananthapuram.
“I have watched a lot of dog shows online, but never experienced one like this in Kerala. When I heard about it, I was excited. I got to handle Tokyo, a champion Jack Russell Terrier from Banchery Kennel. We had just one week to practice, but we bonded fast, and I managed to handle him confidently in the ring.” She says.
All of Sowbhagya’s dogs are trained as guard dogs and are not comfortable around strangers. Hence, she chose to participate in the show with Tokyo.
This year’s show was also special. It focused on recognising female handlers, inspiring more women to enter the field. “I think it created space for many women handlers across Kerala. It’s a great field for pet lovers to explore, and for many, it was their first introduction to it. For me, too, it helped me discover a side of myself I had not explored before. I hope many more will come forward to explore this field from now on.”
Sowbhagya says that it is in the company of her pets that she finds her rhythm in her life. Now that she has the experience, Sowbhagya and Arun are planning to bring home a show dog of their own.
“It’s them who keep my life colourful. Life is not always smooth; there are ups and downs. But these animals have a way of keeping me sane.