It was the howl of despair that could have only come from a distressed soul. I was filming a documentary in the backwaters off the beaches of Sandspit in Karachi, when I heard the cries for help. A tiny brown and white puppy was wading through the murky waters of a mangrove swamp at the edge of a fishing village.
I first spotted the puppy while my crew and I were waiting for someone to show up for an interview. Something didn’t seem quite right about him as I observed him from a distance. He was wandering around aimlessly and seemed a bit confused. I lost sight of him as he disappeared into the bushes and decided to follow him to see if his mother was nearby. I went around the corner of a house next to the mangroves, but couldn’t see him anywhere. I thought maybe he was fit enough and had scampered off to where he had come from. But no. It was then my cameraman pointed him out in the shade next to a wall by the water’s edge. Although it was 3 in the afternoon on a hot summer day, the puppy was shivering and was too weak to even sit properly. He looked like he hadn’t had anything to eat since a few days and kept stumbling over if he tried to walk.
A few children from the fishing village were swimming in the mangrove channel. None of them had seen the puppy before. Then much later one of them piped up that the puppy’s mother had died a few days ago, apparently from hunger. I asked them to bring some water for the puppy. We had some milk biscuits with us which we soaked in the water and offered to the puppy. He had probably been having mangrove swamp water the past few days, and so was initially hesitant to drink, expecting it to be salty. When I held a biscuit under his nose, he just pressed his mouth on it, and seemed unable to open it. He had probably still been on his mother’s milk when he got separated from her. After a while, though, he finished all the water and the biscuits, and immediately seemed a bit more energetic. Soon, our van showed up, and we took out some chicken from our leftover lunch, and gave a little to the puppy. After that he was fine, and was running about following the children.
Still, the puppy was in no condition to be left all by himself, and so by then I had decided to take him with us. One of my friends, Ayessha, had been wanting to adopt a street puppy for her horse stables, and I knew that this little one had just found himself a home.
I put Saeed, one of my crew members, in charge of the puppy while the rest of the filming was being done. Once we had wrapped up from there, one of the children accompanied us with the puppy in our van to a nearby shop from where we picked up an empty cardboard box. We put the puppy in the box, said goodbye to the children who had followed us on foot all the way to the shop, and made our way to our next location. While we were filming in the open field, the puppy kept following Saeed around, and seemed quite happy.
We wrapped up the shoot around sunset, and made our way back to the city. The puppy slept in my lap the whole way. By then I had informed Ayessha about him, and went straight to her house to drop him there for the night. The next morning she took him to the stables which were to be his new home. The day after that we took him to Dr. Isma’s animal clinic for a check-up. She prescribed an antibiotic for his upset stomach, and said to bring him again in a few days for deworming and vaccinations.
The puppy, named Tiger by the stable grooms, is now on a dry puppy food diet and is getting used to his new surroundings. He also has the company of a dozen horses, two rescued donkeys, and a few chickens. But best of all, he is in the tender loving care of Ayessha, and does not have to spend the rest of his life fending for himself on the tough streets of Karachi.
We often come across little street puppies like Tiger who are in need of loving homes. If you would like to adopt such a puppy, please do get in touch with us at info@pawspakistan.org
Happyending of coourse.
I hope this story rubs of to many who often come across situations like this through out their lives.
Animals give so much and want so little
Most importantly animals have the power to make us truly human
Syed Rizvi
Engineers and Scientists for Animal Rights
Silicon Valley/San Jose,
California USA
I am glad that the pup found a new home where he will find enough to eat and get the love he deserves.
Pity the mother did not have the same happy ending.
It is a tragedy when these good hearted domesticated animals that depend on people for their common survival needs do not have the basic needs fulfilled, something as simple as food. Something we all take for granted sometimes.
Michael Caston
Critter Gift Shop.com
Raleigh, NC USA
I was moved by Tiger story, hopefully, everyone has a genuine heart to find ways to fend and tend to “lost” animals because they equally are creations by God
GOD bless all those who still hold onto humanity. You are doing a great job dear Lady! May you infect many with your sensitivity towards animals. Tiger seems to be a lovely pet.
I have recently taken in two adorable kittens anlogwith their MOM. All are white and the kittens have one ice blue and one honey brown eye! they were in a bad condition but in about four five days have settled down in my little lawn and put up a great show when play begins.
May be I will post their pics sometime.
Mahira-
What fabulous work you are doing!
Sheila
Concern for Children
Karachi
Such a sad story but with a very happy ending. Thank goodness
for the kind souls of this earth!
I just set Tiger’s pic on my desktop so that it keeps reminding me that life means more than how we live it. One little step can make a big difference.
Very well done my dear friends. if every individual were to stop by a distress soul even once in a while, if not always then this world will be full of peace and love again. God bless you all.
Wow, another rescue, bravo.. and Tiger is so cute.
SO
God Bless the beings of this world that take the time to care for the sick, abandoned,neglected,abused and threatened ones.
Ela Josephs-Kniaz
Many thanks to everyone involved. It would be wonderful if such a good example influenced the thinking and actions of others.
God loves those who love all his Creations. You are all blessed by God,animals and people!
Hope the message of kindness spreads to everyone through you all!
Thanks and bestwishes
shamalatharao
All life deserves respect and consideration. Thank you for the love you have shown to little Tiger. May he and Ayessha live happily ever after.
Such a heartwarming story. It’s great to get a bit of good news about a Pakistani puppy for a change…
That was a lovely story. It was wonderful of your group to rescue this little animal and even find him a nice home. Tiger looks just great in the last picture. Keep up the good work.
well done you - ‘the quality of mercy is not strained… it blesseth him that gives and him that takes’ .. specially with puppies!
respect. C
Congratulations to all of you, especially the saviour of the puppy. Such an act of merit, reflective of kindness, generosity and empathy, surely defines the path to Heaven: just as cruelty is the path to hell! May you be empowered to continue in your noble avocation.
Very touching story. The gentleman who rescued the puppy and Ayessha truly have a great heart. I wish many can follow this example. As for Tiger, I am very happy for him and wish him a very good life.
Sunil Harigopal
India
I could weep with joy! But do let us follow Tiger’s progress as he grows up. Keep posting pix. May he become the fiercest protector and most faithful friend that any horse has ever known!
Thank you sharing this wonderful story. I wish PAWS well in your good and compassionate work.
i am glad that such angelss in humans exist that can save the life of an cute and beautiful innocent puppy
no one has the right to abuse animals. like human beings, they also feel what we feel…dog is man’s best friend. you wouldnt dare to hurt or abuse your best friend. check PETA Asia-Pacific.com