Save The Girl Child

Zoey-The cutest little puppy

A few days back I noticed a litter of puppies in the compound where I live.I used to watch them from a distance(don't really know how to be around dogs..ah! another story).They would loiter around in the campus, running behind their mother,tripping and falling as they learnt to take their baby steps.A playful bunch I tell you!..However, after a few days I saw just one of them remaining.I couldn't figure out what possibly could have happened(dreading the worst that could've).

She lay unaware

I asked the woman who works here.I was informed that one was adopted by someone who lived here and all the other puppies were sold by the owner of the place.Why not this one? I asked.And what I heard was something that was quite unsettling.."Because she is a female"..I'm not an expert on dogs so I could not figure out why this gender bias but in a place like India where female foeticide and the likes are common this was something that shouldn't have come as a surprise.However, I was stunned for a moment.

Oblivious to the world around her...

I looked at the pup.She was the cutest little thing I had ever seen.Two little brown ears and a clear white face with a small back nose.She looked so innocent.My heart reached out to her.If only I was not handicapped in expressing love to dogs I would have picked her up in my arms.I saw her playing with something..chewing on it with all intent of crushing it with her teeth.I looked at her and wondered, "Who will save this girl child?".

Yet she seemed to ask, "Why me?"

 I showed the pictures of this li'l one to my fiance, who's a pet lover btw. He asked me to buy some pedigree for her. and give her a bath. I knew giving her a bath was off-limits considering my inhibitions.I gave her bread to eat.I was to undertake a journey that night.I made a mental note to come back and buy pedigree.

"Zoey"...ain't that a cute name for her?

I came back a couple of days back and in a strange way I was thinking of getting back and feeding her.May be it was the puppy's cute face or the compassion with which my fiance talked about it..I don't know but I realized I had missed her.While I was in the train my thoughts would drift off to names I could think of for her. couldn't wait to be back.May be "Zoey" would help me end my awkwardness towards pets especially dogs.

As I entered my house I looked around, hoping to see her wagging her tail and running towards me(I'm quite sure I would've run had she actually come too close to me:P).I didn't get a glimpse of her until much later.I saw two girls playing with her,much at ease than I could be in ages..They called her "Patchy". It seemed very obvious why.I wished silently if I could have been a little early.Nonetheless I was happy for her.They had saved the Girl Child:)