Hi, I am D. Well, I could be a, b, c, d or x, since I am not lucky as humans to be given a name. Most of you are familiar with me – maybe that’s why I am scientifically called Canis Familiaris – your familiar, friendly neighbourhood dog.
My antecedents go far back in time, quite similar to yours. Excavations from the glorious Indus Valley Civilisation by diligent archaeologists have unearthed a skull of my forefathers, and I have been depicted in the beautiful cave paintings of Bhimbetka. I have seen it all – the rise and fall of the great ancient kingdoms, the conscientious keeper Ashoka the Great, the golden age of the Guptas, the Bronze Age of the Cholas, the Mughal Empire, colonialism and independence.
I have seen jewelled treatises being written and beautiful poems composed of love and valour. I have seen the time when we were the largest economy in the world – the ‘Golden Bird’ – and I have seen the time when we were refused food aid, which heralded our brilliant scientists to usher in the Green Revolution.
The grand epic Mahabharata starts with a story of injustice meted out to a pup. In the end of the same epic too, I am mentioned. On his final journey in the Himalayas, the righteous Yudhistira refused to abandon me till the end. Lord Indra rewarded him for his loyalty and took him to Heaven.
The British brought their exotic breeds, and like everything native, we were labelled as the “Pariah Dog.” Quite ironic, calling us natives “outsiders.” Perhaps that is where the infamous signages came outside colonial clubs and restricted areas – “Indians and Dogs – Not Allowed.”
We live in the streets, we live in the barns, we live wherever we can eke out our measly existence. I am often the ‘underdog,’ always expected to lose. Perhaps that should gain me some sympathy. So whenever I ever win – and that is a big IF – would it evoke the same emotions as when our brave team caused the greatest upset in cricket history in 1983?
We are hardy, unlike the Siberian Huskies or St. Bernards who are tormented in the heat of the subcontinent. However, our families are dynamic, as we keep losing members to disease, cruelty, and undernourishment. We are fatalists too. One minute we are up and about, the other we are knocked down by a speeding car – for no fault of our own. Jurisprudence has something called manslaughter. Have you ever heard of dog-slaughter?
We keep it simple, live each day and enjoy the small pleasures of life – basking in the winter sun, drinking fresh water from puddles after rain, and snoozing under the cool shade of a peepal tree. We sniff for scraps – leftovers – thrown out by humans by design or by default.
We guard the streets and usually keep to ourselves. As with everyone else, we have the right to defend ourselves when provoked. We bark a lot and seldom bite unless it is linked to our survival. Haven’t you heard – barking dogs seldom bite?
As in humans, we too get infected by deadly viruses and bacteria. Rabies is fatal for us and, God forbid, for humans too if they are bitten by an infected member of our species. Thankfully it is a preventable disease. While it rightfully carries a lot of concern, fatalities for humans are much more from reckless driving, tuberculosis and suicides. I heard that the WHO aims to eliminate rabies-related deaths by 2030. Many countries have already been declared rabies-free and India, through its rabies control programme, aims to achieve this target. This will be a big respite not only for humans but also for us.
We love and like to be loved. So in the end, you may love us, you may even ignore us, but please don’t hate us – haven’t you heard – dogs are man’s best friends.
Curiously 
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