5 pawsome dog stories that will melt your heart!

Man's best friend
There’s a quote by Konrad Lorenz we came across – the bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth will ever be, and honestly, we couldn’t agree more. Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole, with their wagging tails and wide smiles. Here are 5 dog stories that will make your heart swell!
Dogs | love | Humans of Bombay

“Back in 2009, my husband’s client asked him to get her a dog. He bought one, but she looked at the dog and said she couldn’t take him because he was black. Perplexed, my husband bought him home. We decided to keep him for the night and stayed up taking care of him. Despite being afraid of dogs, my husband took care of this one like his own child. The next morning, we decided to keep him. We named him DJ as my husband is into DJing. To take care of him, I was granted half days at my workplace.

Since he’s entered our home, he’s been our lucky charm. Within the first week of him living with us, my husband got promoted, and we moved into a bigger flat. For years I wasn’t able to conceive. I was depressed and would often share my pain with DJ. But a few months later, I had my daughter. It may seem like just a coincidence, but there have been so many such incidents that I’m convinced our dog is our lucky charm!

DJ is like a third parent to our baby girl. Once, she was about to fall out of her cradle, so he held her with his head and back and barked loudly till we came into the room and placed her safely onto the bed. She was also late in her speech, but he would encourage her to speak more by barking and licking her every time she tried uttering a word. Believe it or not, her first word was DJ!

Just last year, we were about to move to Singapore, but we couldn’t because DJ failed his medical tests. A day after deciding not to go, Singapore had its first case of Corona, and it grew rapidly from thereon. It almost felt like DJ was failing his tests on purpose, to keep us safe. Even the bad days are good with him– it’s just DJ and us, a small happy family, in this beautiful world!”

Dog | pet | love | Humans of Bombay

“Brownie began coming to our house 2 years ago -- she was just a neighbourhood dog at the time. She’d come in the evenings, fall asleep inside our house and then leave the next morning. It became routine not only for her but also for my mom and me, so we made a small bed for her.

One day, while I was out, my mom called me and told me that Brownie had fallen sick. The vet said she had tick fever, and if she didn’t receive treatment immediately, she wouldn’t make it. So we decided to take care of her until she got better. When she did, we began to look for a home for her. Every time we met potential adopters, she held on to us tightly and refused to leave us. We realized that through all of this, she was trying to tell us to not let her go. So we decided to adopt her.

But Brownie would pee every time we left the house to go out. We found out that she’d been abandoned by her previous owners and noticed more signs of anxiety. She’d start panting when we took her out anywhere and would hold on to my legs every few seconds.

We regularly consult an animal behaviourist now, and our dog slowly getting better. I remember, last year, when I had my placement interviews, she refused to eat until I got through my final round. When I got home that evening, she only ate from my hands after mom told her I got the job!

That’s just how she is -- which makes her even more special. She’s made our house a home for herself, and I wish she knew that we would never abandon her and love her unconditionally. She’s officially registered as Brownie Motwani at the vet, too -- she’s family, and you never ever abandon family.”

Dogs | love | Humans of Bombay

“After my wife died 4 years ago, I slipped into depression. We’d found each other a little later in life, when we were both 50. But from the moment I met her, I knew the second innings of my life was going to be colourful. But she developed a chronic liver disease and died soon after. The worst part is, she died when she was in Surat, and I was in Bombay. I didn’t even get to say goodbye…

6 months later, our dog also passed away; and I hit rock bottom. I had taken an early retirement to be able to spend quality time with my wife, but now I had all the time in the world and no one to spend it with. My son would try to cheer me up, but he was working, and I couldn’t be the reason he stalled.

I’d spend my entire day in bed, just existing and speaking only when spoken to. A year passed by like that and then I woke up to a bark one day. Surprised, I walked towards the door to be greeted by the most innocent eyes on the most excited dog I’d ever seen. He ran towards me, wanting to be petted. His energy was so infectious that I think after almost a year, I laughed. I spent the whole day playing fetch with him and by the end, I named him Suzu!

Later that night, my son told me how he got Suzu from a dog parlour where his previous owners had abandoned him. When he came to us, Suzu had issues–he wasn’t trained, he’d pee and poop anywhere. But honestly, no complaints, I had fun training him. It’s like I’d found a new purpose.

He came to me as a tiny pup and now, 3 years later, I think he’s the fattest boy there is. And in these 3 years, my whole life has become about him. And I mean it when I say he’s the best dog in the entire universe, and mind you, ever since I was a kid, I’ve always had a dog friend. But Suzu remains unmatched. He’s so punctual–even if he’s out playing with his friends or on his night time walk, he will come back exactly after 30 mins, come what may. He’s also very smart; you will never see him accept a treat from a stranger.

But his most favourite thing to do is swim. So, every Sunday, we take him to the beach where we let him be. He loves rolling in the sand and paddling in the sea. Whenever I see him that happy, my heart is full. At 50, I found a companion in my wife, and then at 73, I was fortunate enough to find a companion yet again, but this time in my Suzu. And when people tell me I saved Suzu by taking him in, I tell them that it’s actually Suzu who saved me; I was drowning, and he brought me back ashore.”

Dog | love | pets | Humans of Bombay

“I’ve had 13 dogs in my life till now! Growing up, after school, I’d go straight to the kennel and spend hours with my puppies until granny dragged me home. I was 5 when mom passed–they were my therapists with furry noses and wagging tails. They helped me through the heartbreak, and every time we snuggled, life seemed easier.

Naturally, I dreamed of becoming a vet. I helped out at my vet’s office since I was 10, volunteered at animal welfare NGOs and rescued injured puppies. But there was no convincing my family of this ‘unconventional’ career–I was pressured into studying Engineering. By the time I was 19, I was in college and dating Ali, my now husband. One rainy day, Ali and I saw a shopkeeper beating up a helpless puppy–I ran to pick her up. She was so tiny that I fit her into my bag and snuck her past hostel security. We weren’t allowed pets, so I fostered her till she found a home. I taught her tricks so that my peers warmed up to her and smuggled her in and out of the hostel so we wouldn’t get caught.

Once, she jumped out of a laundry basket with a bra and underwear hanging off her and came running to me. That’s how Panty pretty much named herself! Over time, I just couldn’t give her up. Honestly, it was Panty who saved me–she brought me closer to my dream career.

During one of her vaccinations, the vet saw how well trained she was, and asked, ‘Why don’t you try dog training?’ A light bulb switched on – I even found a course for it, but my family refused to pay, because it wasn’t a ‘real job’. So Ali and I pooled our savings, and I went for it. Soon after, I got my first client through that same vet. Word spread, and more clients poured in! Panty became my little helper and came along for every appointment. I’ll never forget the joy I felt when I trained a rescue dog to overcome his past trauma and connect with his new family!

It’s been 8 years, and I’ve trained 500 dogs, but the feeling of spending every day with my fur babies is like no other– all because of Panty! From giving me my dream career, to being the cutest ring bearer while I married Ali, she’s been my best friend. Also, just how cute is her name?”

“It was Ganpati 2018 when my friends and I decided to walk to Siddhivinayak for morning darshan. On our way, we came across some dogs attacking another dog, who was huddled in a corner. We ran to his rescue, and I randomly said ‘Moti,’ to which he responded! We got some milk and biscuits, and played fetch. He followed us till the temple and even did the darshan. By then, I didn’t have the heart to let him go. So we got him home, and mom told me to tie him to the porch. That night, I had the biggest smile on my face.

But when I woke up, he was gone–my uncle set him free. I couldn’t control my tears and searched frantically–under every car, around every street corner. After a few weeks, we gave up when there was no sign of him. For 2 years, there was a void in my life– even though I’d known Moti for just 7 hours, he was special.

So, when I heard that a pet store was shutting and one of their dogs wasn’t getting adopted, I literally ran and met Angel. She was weak with no hair and needed help. When she saw me, she let out the cutest little woof! I lifted her paw and made a promise–unlike Moti, I’d look after her till the end.

But my family wasn’t happy. For them, pets were a burden. After a lot of convincing, they finally agreed–but only if I took full responsibility, which I happily did! Everyone was still warming up to having her home and kept their distance until a few months later, when dad passed away from a heart attack. It was so sudden; we were heartbroken. For days, we cried and hardly spoke, but Angel got us through it. Whenever we felt low, she’d lick our faces till we smiled and told her, ‘Angel, stop!’ Every night, she’d sleep next to us – even though she loves sleeping by herself. She bonded with mom too. We’d go for car rides, dog shows, and hit the beach often – she loves to chase the waves. And now mom and Angel are so close; mom can’t get by without her! I often joke, ‘She’s the most pampered kid!’ and she’ll smirk.

Angel didn’t just fill the void in my life -- she’s helping us fill the void at home. She saved us, when we were at our lowest. That’s how unconditional an animal’s love is – even if they’re suffering, they’ll put you first.”

Humans of Bombay is all about bringing you extraordinary stories of ordinary people, but this time around, we thought it ‘woof’ be nice to bring you some heartfelt stories about our favourite furry beings – dogs! We hope these stories made you smile and gave you all the feels. If you’d like to read more such stories, check out our book and dive into the diverse tales of Bombay.

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