They are man’s best friends without a doubt. On Monday, the world will celebrate International Dog Day. It has been created so that all breeds of dogs are celebrated; mixed and pure. The day is all about paying tribute to these incredible animals who work selflessly to bring comfort, keep us safe, and save lives. Every day, these animals put their lives on the line. There are dogs that protect our safety and freedom by detecting drugs and bombs, as well as those that pull victims from wreckage and tragic situations. Plus, we have dogs for the disabled, blind, and law enforcement. These dogs hold special places in our lives, and so it is only right that we honor them.
In Goa, the dog owner is as passionate about his dog as others in the rest of the world. In Goa, according to estimates the number of dogs is about 1.5 lakhs with around 70,000 being strays. Goans keeps dogs of various breeds.
Kashinath Shetye has three dogs, two Indian dogs and one German Shepherd. He had a special room for them. As a restaurant owner, he gets special food for them from his restaurant in Porvorim. He says, “We get curry pieces for them. The food is also given with liver. And sometimes they even eat rice with curd. Biscuit is given at 4 pm. The two females are neutered and the other one roams around everywhere. We have three dogs and one cat. I am an animal lover. The Indian dogs are Ori and Cookie and the German dog is Kevin.”
He says at 12 o’clock every night, there was a visitor for the three dogs, a porcupine. It would take a round around the house followed by the three dogs who would bark but would never attack it. The porcupine would never attack them too. There were 7 to 8 trees in his compound which were full of birds which excited the dogs. His car is a source of much fascination for Kevin. When he returns home from his job at the electricity department, his dog Kevin gets very excited and jumps into the car. Kashinath says he has to take a round otherwise Kevin will be miffed. The two other dogs, however, he says were scared of the car and kept away. It is a happy contented life he seems to be living with his extended family.
Another happy dog owner is Kiran Jadeja. He has three dogs and he also takes care of dogs in the vicinity. He has had the dogs for 8 years. The dogs stayed in the compound but came into the house later in the evening. Kiran smiles and says even the neighbourhood dogs came over. He has had many dogs in the past 16 years. He ensures they get a good meal once a day at the very least. The strays are checked and treated and in some instances, he even gets doctors to have them operated. He may be in construction but his heart certainly lies with the dogs in the area.
Aman Lotlikar owns three dogs. A rottweiler, a great dane and a doberman. The dogs were like his kids. He has had several dogs during his life. His devotion can be gauged by the fact the remains of all the dogs he had are buried in a smadhi in the house. Every Monday, the family prays at the Samadhi. A bouquet is placed every Monday. The entire family takes the dogs for a walk everyday. They are also taken out on holidays. Recently, the three dogs accompanied the family to a pet friendly resort in Kolhapur. The occasion was his wife’s birthday. The dogs he says were very mischievous and dominating. He says, “They make me get up from my sleep if they want to sit in my chair. As a parent I have to listen to them. I value their demand.”
Bosco Pereira has a daschund who is three and a half years old. This dog came twenty years after their earlier dog died. Bosco says, “His death broke our hearts and we said never again. This dog, Puzzle, was picked up thanks to our daughter. She is now abroad and the dog is still with us. The nicest dog ever. He is the binding force in the house. He gets us together. I will keep a dog for the rest of my life. It is a pity we did not keep one for twenty years.”
Another dog lover is Savio Fernandes. He has been keeping dogs for forty years. He has a great Dane now which is three years old. He says, “I love dogs, I have kept dobermans all these years and I used to clip their ears. I wanted to crop the great Dane’s ears too but I was told it was painful for them. I decided to let him be. He is a friendly dog and very affectionate and yes very jealous. No one can talk to me when we go for a walk. Even when I am with my daughter, he does not like it. He loves going for walks. He is an important part of the family. He wants to be part of the family. He loves sitting on the balcony of the outhouse which is exclusive to him. Every evening, he comes into the house. We have a big yard and he loves running around it. I love pedigree and that’s why I keep dobermans.They are aggressive dogs. An earlier dog met with an accident and another one died due to gastroenteritis”. He says it was important to get good puppies because many breeders would cross mate causing problems. He said his dog was tick free and he would feed him chicken and rice or curd and rice with vegetables.
Ramesh Umraskar now keeps two dobermans as guard dogs. One is one and a half and the other one is six months old. He has named them Rocky and Julie. Earlier, he used to keep five Alsatians. He has been keeping dogs for 22 years. And he is certain he will keep them for rest of his life. He says his entire family loves dogs.
The range of breeds is quite astonishing in Goa. Mario Coelho from Ribandar owns a Shihtzu which is a Tibetan dog. Mario says, “The summers are cruel for my dog and it can’t bear the heat. We have installed an AC in every room in the house bar mine. As a child, I hardly ever noticed dogs. My wife is not particularly a dog lover. My daughter loves animals. Most of the time during Covid, she was at home and she and her mother prevailed on me. I resisted but eventually we got the dog. Misti, the dog is now inseparable from us. He is like any other member of the family.”
Dogs have personalities too. Ronita D’Cunha who has three dogs and cats smiles when she says when she shows affection on one dog for too long, the others would just push it away and then look to her for the same sort of attention. She says the two local dogs and the Labrador were part of the family. Their birthdays were celebrated and they would eat the cake specially prepared for them. The entire family she said loved the dogs.
The love for the dogs shown by their owners is a manifestation of the impact these animals have on their lives.