Shivali and Sufi
By JUST DOGS
Sometimes you save a dog and sometimes a dog saves you. Such is the story of Shivali Dasgupta and Sufi. One Sunday on a casual trip to the mall Shivali stumbled across a stall hosted by PFA fostering all kinds of Indie puppies who had lost their mothers and were orphans. Amidst it all suddenly magical chemistry happened between Shivali and the tiny Sufi who was hiding behind all the puppies in the lot. Call it love at first sight or what you may, that chemistry gave Sufi a home and Shivali gave Sufi her heart. Shivali recalls her busy schedule and being unmarried back then, she didn’t have the bandwidth to take on the responsibility of a pet. But who can stop the magical chemistry when it flows.
With the decision already taken to bring Sufi home, what followed were pieces of advice about how wrong her decision was, pouring from all corners. Advice about her age, her marital status, finances, etc all of it followed, but Shivali was very clear, she was in love with Sufi and she had no regrets about bringing her home. Being a pet parent is fun but it comes with its own set of challenges, it comes with its share of ups and downs. There are good days when you spend the entire day playing with your pet and then there are not so good days when your pet might not be feeling well. Getting the adoption papers sorted, vaccination, etc are part of the journey of being a pet parent. Shivali recalls the day Sufi came home at 80 days old, how she would never sleep alone at night, she goes on to say “even today, she sleeps on the bed with her blanket and toys and all occupying majority of the space leaving a tiny bit for me.”
Sufi is one of those lucky pets who has had the privilege of extensive travel. From Ambala to Delhi, Dehradun, and Ahmedabad. She has been a part of a 30 – hour long road trip as well with Shivali. Recalling an incident that happened during demonetisation, Shivali goes on to say “Sufi did the most criminal activity ever, she tore the only ₹500 note in the household. I was angry also but on the inside, I was like aww so cute, but outside I have to be angry because I have to parent her.” Her life is full of many such sweet and salty memories with Sufi. Breaking the myth that Indie dogs cannot be trained, Shivali feels people need to be made aware of Indie pets and how well they can be trained, from food habits to basic skills. Shivali is a strong advocate of ‘Adopt Don’t Shop’. She feels, it is better to give a pup a home that really needs it. She says “The love and the most genuine attraction you feel is when you save a life.” She urges everyone to go for indie as a pet as it will change your life, it surely changed hers.
Watch this space for more heartwarming stories.