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Watcha gonna do with a dog like that? Obviously, love it and get loved in return. We explore this bond of love between man and his best friend. Love's pure for sure. And if you share this bond with your pet it becomes all the more special. So special that at times it can also take a fatal turn. Sample these incidents: Recently an old couple committed suicide in Hyderabad after the death of their dog �" their companion for last 13 years. The other day a pet dog went mad in Lucknow after his owner passed away. We talk to celebs who own dogs, a veterinary doctor and a psychologist to find out why this bond with dogs is so special.
"They are my babies. And no one dare call them dogs," warns actor Koena Mitra who has four pet dogs.
"My pets are my only family members here. They make up for the absence of all others. It feels so good after I return from a stressful day at shoots and there I have my pets waiting to maul me with their attention and affection." But don't stars get enough attention from their fans? "Now, that's an unfair comparison!
Where can I expect such love as my pet Kooky shows? Each time I move out of the house, Kooky waits outside my bathroom thinking that I'm still in there. My maid has to keep the bathroom tap on to make her believe that I'm actually inside. Who'd not want to feel so special?" she reasons.
Actor Rati Agnihotri, who has three pet dogs in Mumbai and one each in Khandala and Pune, is so much in love with her Labradors that she says, "If I had my way, I would keep 10 more dogs with me." She laughs and continues, "Dogs are so affectionate that your attachment is bound to grow by the day. I've had pet dogs since my childhood and now they are so much a part of my life that without them life's unimaginable.
It's a reciprocal feeling. My pets just refuse to eat whenever I go out of station. My family has to coax them into eating. Similarly, when I'm leaving my pets in Khandala and Pune, they refuse to see me off as they can't see me going." That's a strong bond indeed.
Actor Rajeev Paul, is yet another self-confessed doglover. He avers, "The kind of love and support I get from them, especially dogs, is what makes me go for them. My pet, Gabbar Singh (a Labrador), has helped me get over bad phases in my career. I always seek solace in him whenever I am down and out. Likewise, I'm so touched each time my brother tells me how Gabbar sits by my bedside when I'm out of town."
Ask Dr SK Agarwal, a vet, and he explains the reason for this special bond. "Dogs are the most sensitive and loving of all animals. And that's the reason which ties us to them. I've come across cases where the dog had turned mad or was behaving strangely because either the owner had passed away or he was out of station. That's because of the attachment they have with their master. But medically, there's no cure for such cases. Only time and love can act as a healer for them."
