By Piu Sur*
When I first met Maya it was a shock for me. Earlier, I had never seen a puppy suffer so much. She was friendly, wanted to participate in my friend’s birthday get-together but was struggling to do so. Her central nervous system was affected and she could barely walk or raise her head and was having convulsions. There were times when she howled nonstop and this made everybody’s heart sink; nobody had the courage to see her in such a distressed condition. That day, I returned home sad and prayed for something good to happen; I just wished Maya should live a happy and healthy life that she deserved.
Today, Maya is showing slow progress in recovery but only because she is getting full medical attention coupled with love and care of Misti (my dear friend Adrija Chakravarti). Misti, as we all lovingly call her, is an animal lover and already has a cat family living in her house in Kolkata. She is a trained and successful artist, now living in Alipur Duar. There too, she had several pets, mainly strays and took care of those around her in midst of work. In one of her trips to Siliguri with friends, she decided to bring this cute puppy home.
Initial days of happy times were shortened when the puppy showed signs of virus attack. They realized that the breeder had not vaccinated the dog and so the early signs of virus emerged. Seeing Maya in so much pain was unbearable for them, so they took her to the doctor available close by, but nothing much could be done. At the same time, Maya started collapsing to a worse state. This is when they decided to bring her to Kolkata. They travelled with her in a car all the way so that Maya would be as comfortable as possible.
Reaching Kolkata, they quickly found a veterinary hospital and luckily a very good doctor. Once they were sure to give Maya a full chance to recover, they took her as and when required to the clinic and did all that was required to treat her. The doctor was patient too and seeing the eagerness and affection of Misti for Maya, he carried on with the treatment. Maya still howls for a long time and is uncomfortable but she also shows signs of improvement. She goes to terrace for a walk and every morning visits each member of the house to receive a pat on her head with a few comforting words. She too wants to be a part of the family and is trying to do all it takes to get back to being a playful puppy.
In fact, when I called a few days back, she also went out of the house for a walk as she was vaccinated and stronger. The love, care, and attention she gets would help her become stronger each day and she will be able to return to Alipur Duar with Misti. As for Misti, she believes that now they have to accept Maya the way she is and go on with her work as well as give her the medical treatment required. Life with Maya continues and the bond is growing deeper with the each passing day!
This entire suffering of Maya, Misti, and her family could have actually been avoided if the breeder, from whom she got Maya, was more careful and took proper care. Vaccination is very important and breeders should know that the diseases like parvovirus and distemper are common in canines. With right awareness and willingness to see off healthy puppies to happy homes, they can prevent innocent animals like Maya and their parents like Misti from suffering so much thereafter. It is a thoughtful act that goes beyond selling the matters!
The love and care Misti has for Maya, talks of compassion beyond words and a family tie very warm and encouraging because no matter what, she did not give up on Maya and continues making efforts to give her a beautiful life that she deserves.
*Author is a Media Consultant/Media Educator/Educational Documentary filmmaker/Instructional Designer. Presently she is working independently as a consultant but has worked in the field of television production and later on the new media besides being guest faculty to share her experiences.
