Niamh's Year in India: Dogs

So, in November, I lost both my dogs. And again I had to get the news via skype.

Cal and Holly

My oldest dog Cal died first. He passed away fairly quickly. My mum went up to find him one evening and he was lying in such an awkward way. So they took him to the vet, and he was slipping in and out of consciousness. Apparently by taking him to the vet it only cut his life by a few hours, if that. We always knew that he was going, even when I was still at home. It was funny to watch sometimes though. He would sit and stare at walls for ages. He once barked at an open door as if to be let in and Morna had to pretend to open it to let him in. Taking him for walks was frustrating I have to say. He was usually fine when he was properly out in the woods but getting him home was painful. I'm not even kidding when I say that tortoises would have overtaken him. I once got a new high score on a a game on my phone while out for a walk with him. That shows you how much time I had. It may have even been flappy bird.. But he always wanted a hug and for you to clap him. He was more than happy to sit next to you curl up and be clapped. He used to sleep on my bed when I was younger and when I got my room done up and I was sleeping on a mattress on the floor, I would frequently wake up to this comforting weight at my feet. We got him from a rescue centre we never his past. But it never mattered, he was always our dog. Always will be.

Cal at the dinner table at home

Now, Holly. Anyone who knew her would agree with the description coined by my dad, "happy but thick." She really was. She was the happiest dog you've ever met. Really. She died a few weeks after Cal. She had some lumps in her chest and it just made her breathing so hard. The coughing had been keeping my mum and dad up at night. It wasn't nice and then it just got to the point where it wasn't fair for Holly. But she was a Lab until the end. Scoffed her breakfast and had all the available treats. She would always drool whenever you were making her dinner the point where you had to make really fast to avoid slipping on drool if you moved at all. She was one of the most annoying dogs to clap because, unlike Cal, she would not sit still. Ever. She'd change position, she come and lick your arm and your face and she'd just manage to make a nuisance of herself. But she'd love to play. She always loved to play. No matter what. And if you asked someone how old they thought she was, they would always say something younger. I remember her playing with a three month old Tibetan Mastiff and even though Holly was 9 she tired out the puppy. She would always go charging up to other dogs to get them play but she would just frighten the hell out of them. She was so thick that she wouldn't take signals from other dogs that it was time to stop playing. There was one time my dad had her out for walk and they met another dog. Holly sat in front of this other dog and hit her in the face like "play with me". The dog growled. But Holly put one paw on the dogs shoulder, then the other paw. So Holly was quite happily sitting there wagging her tail while the other dog bared her teeth. We thought we would try and train her when we first got her, but was a mistake. She stayed in the puppy class for three years and then the guy who ran the class took pity on my dad and moved Holly up a group. One night at the training my dad turned round to find Holly with a German Shepard's head in her mouth. A habit she continued for the rest of her life. Whenever she was in the house you could always tell. Whenever I was on study leave or just around the house I always knew she was there if I needed to take a break or take my mind off something. She was amazing for that. She was comfort whenever I needed it. Except whenever she came into my room in the middle of the night to throw up.

It was one thing saying goodbye to my dogs for a year thinking I'd be back, but it was another being told I'd never actually see them again. I've had a dog my whole life and I now don't know what I'm going to do without one. Even if everything changed, I knew I always had a dog as a constant. But now I don't. Anyone who has or has had a dog will completely understand. It's a part of your life that completes everything. They literally are part of your family and it kinda feels like it's been ripped a wee bit more. I hate it.

It makes it so much harder here because of the amount of stray dogs all around the place. Even before mine died I had trouble dealing with it. They are everywhere. It's something that I just did not expect at all and I've had real trouble with it. Some of the dogs look fairly okay but some really really don't. So many walk with a limp, some have legs missing, many have half a tail and loads seem to have skin infections. I've seen some with sores on them that are so infected you know the dog's not going to last long at all. There was even one with it's eye missing, looking horrible and eaten with flies. I try not too look to carefully but I have seen some dead dogs. It breaks my heart when I see them wandering the streets because they should have a home and a family to look after them. But they're just lying on the roads and eating rubbish to stay alive. It's not fair and I just want to cuddle them all and take them home. Sarah now thinks that I have a dog radar because I just seen to turn around at the right time to see a dog. But I just love them so much. It's the fact that they're also so scared of people because people here hit them and throw things at them. They just have no concept of animal abuse. I hate it so much. These dogs just need help.

Outside our school there are always lots of dogs. There are some that are always here and don't really seem to leave. It helps that there is a rubbish pile right next to the school. With the pack of dogs here there are some puppies. There are two older ones and then three younger ones who must be about 4 months. And if I am not forcibly stopped then I will be bringing them back to Scotland. Because they are the cutest, loviest puppies ever. Some of the kids now know how much I love them and insist on pointing them out to me "Miss, puppies!" Which I don't mind at all. I could watch them all day. One of the girls in 10th Standard has even invited me round to play with her German Shepard called Dusky. And I am so going to take her up on that offer. I need to play with some dogs. I've even named the puppies that live outside the school. There's Pompadom, Olaf and Deekshith. And they're beautiful.

I think I'll always miss my dogs and that living somewhere with almost as many stray dogs as people will be a problem. I literally do not know how I'm supposed to deal with it but I do know that if you have a dog, I will be coming to visit you when I get home.