We all love dogs and there are many good samaritans out there who leave no stone unturned to keep our furry friends safe, protected, and loved. For instance, a Nagpur man fed chicken biryani to 190 stray dogs and cats, and how another poor man gave a dog his only mask as protection amid the pandemic.
Now, another touching tale between a wheelchair-bound man named Joseph Rodrigues and a stray dog has come to light from the Mumbai city airport. The 36-year-old works as a ground staffer at an airline and used to play with a young male dog called Whitey at the departures area of Andheri’s international airport terminal. Their friendship was well-known, reports TOI.
However, last week Whitey suddenly went missing from the airport and it led Rodrigues to a lot of distress. He said, “I became very anxious as I could not find Whitey anywhere at the airport complex. What startled me was that another dog, Browny, a buddy of Whitey, started showing signs of acute stress. Browny would sit very close to my wheelchair and often whimper softly as if trying to tell me that something awful has happened to Whitey.”
In a bid to find Whitey, he started sending online messages and photos of the missing pooch to animal activists in the country. He said, “I did not have contacts of local activists. Here, activists Priyanshu Sharma, Kalyani, Chaitanya, and animal-friendly Mumbai cop ACP Sudhir Kudalkar and his team guided me on how to go about searching for Whitey.”
His energy was sapped as he went through searching in the maze of city lanes. He went to check Bandra and Malad’s dog centers where often BMC’s dog-catchers bring the canines. Luckily, he found his four-legged pal inside Malad center’s enclosure. Describing the happy sight, the relieved Indigo staffer said, “Whitey jumped towards me with joy on seeing me at the Malad dog center. I’d like to thank all animal activists and friends who helped me find Whitey. I can now do my airport duties in peace.”
Not wanting the dogs to be harassed like this again, Rodrigues now wants to put them up for adoption. He was told that some airport passengers had complained about Whitey because he used to chase cars. “Those who want to adopt these lovely dogs can contact me,” he concluded.
All’s well that ends well, don’t you think?
Cover Image Source- left