Nature & Animals….. - HereNow4U.net

Animal Crusaders • Commemorative Issue • October 2010Reminiscences : 24 x 7Two touching snippets from our24x7 animal care experience!LalooThe roadside tea shop next to ourclinic closes at around nine andthe benches outside becomenight shelters for many. Once Isaw a gypsy couple sleeping therewith a pie dog, a puppy. All threeof them would leave earlymorning and come back at night.One day the shopkeeperappeared before they coulddisappear and there was atantrum. The sound and shoutsmade me sneak out of mywindow on the first floor of theclinic. What I saw was thefrightened look in the puppy’seyes and its desperate effort tohide. By the time I came back withsome ‘puppy breakfast’ they haddisappeared!After a couple of days, I saw thepuppy repeatedly vomiting. As Iwas in a hurry to go to my villagehome urgently, I requested mycolleagues to take it in for somelife support treatment. After Icame back on the third day, thepuppy was reported ‘lost’.Searching frantically, I could findit in the evening hidden under aheap of broken tiles, fast asleepbut emaciated, dehydrated andwith sub-normal temperature justabout faintly pounding heart.After a few days’ treatment, herecovered and disappeared again.A few days passed and I almostforgot the episode as it is a routinekind of job at our clinic. Atmidnight one day, I came backafter attending an emergencyand opening the clinic gate,suddenly got a nudge on my leg.The same puppy was squeakingas if trying to ‘tell’ me somethinglike “you have saved my life, can’tyou give me a home now?!”….myyoung daughter reactedimmediately and offered her owndinner to Laloo, the name shegave it.Since that day, Laloo ispermanently stationed at the gateof our clinic greeting each andevery patient and owner with agenerous wag of his tail“saying”….”come on in, I owe mylife to this clinic!”~ Subhas Kalsar[Subhas Kalsar is the chief para-vet andthe livewire of our 24hour animalhelpline at the CompassionateCrusaders’ Centre for Animal Welfare,popular as the Tollygunge Clinic.]BholaOne morning in 1999 just afterDurga Puja as I was busy in theclinic with patients, I heard acommotion and came out to findthe waiting owners chasing a piedog away. They complained it wastrying to enter the clinic.In the evening when all of us, theveterinarian, para-vets wererelaxing a little after a hectic day,we saw a tan dog enter the clinicand bark. After initial confusion,our senior para-vet Shankar Basakgently approached the dog whichlowered the tail in submissionright away. A sore inside one ofthe hind legs was found on thedog. Dr. P.Banerjee and SubhasKalsar started necessarytreatment. We christened himBhola. After a little rest, Bholawalked out of the clinic in peace.Next morning we were anxiousto find Bhola for dressing but hewas nowhere to be seen! Whenthe day got us busy, Bholaappeared suddenly and we allwere relieved. He got histreatment done and left, the sameroutine continuing for three moredays. He did not come after that.I saw Bhola again almost after ayear. He was running a high feverand was given treatment andplaced in the space just outsidethe clinic main door. By theevening Bhola had left. We hopeto see him again whenever heneeds treatment, till then…! Godbless him.~ Amar Nath Ghosh[Amar Nath Ghosh is the In-Charge ofour clinic.]71