CHENNAI: He is the sole survivor of a suicide pact. And now he is looking for a loving family that will give him a forever home.
R Loganathan, 55, and his wife Shanthi, 49, the pet parents of Shyam, an Indian spitz, died by suicide in June last year as they were unable to settle their debts. The couple, who lived in Mandaveli, also tried to hang their dog but he escaped.
“I got a call from someone who knew me saying that a middle-aged couple had died by suicide and also tried to hang their dog,” says animal welfare activist Manjula Ganesan, who immediately rushed to the spot. “When I reached the place, I was told that the couple had put a black plastic cover over their dog’s head and tried to hang it. But he somehow wriggled free and escaped. Since all the doors and windows had been closed he kept barking and alerted the neighbours.”
The deceased couple had also left behind a suicide note in which they requested that the dog be buried or cremated along with them, says Manjula. “They had no children and they treated Shyam like their son,” says Manjula.
The dog, who was completely traumatised, refused to let anyone near him. “It took me more than five hours to put him on a leash. With the help of a neighbour, I was able to put him in an auto and take him to a veterinary hospital,” she says. “He was treated for minor injuries on his neck and I also got him vaccinated and sterilised.”
After 10 days at the hospital to deal with his trauma, Manjula brought Shyam home. “I have 14 rescue dogs and he couldn’t get along with them. And due to what he had been through, he would get aggressive if he saw plastic covers or ropes,” says Manjula, who then placed him at a paid foster home in Tambaram. “They have a huge space and he has recovered over the months. He has become more trusting of humans.”
Manjula, who has been paying 250 per day to board Shyam, is looking for pet parents who can give him a loving home. “He is five years old, toilet and leash trained, and is friendly with humans but not with other dogs. So we are looking for someone who doesn’t have any other pets,” she says.
Most importantly, the pet parents need to be kind and understand the trauma he has been through. “He is still very scared of plastic covers, dupattas, and ropes. But in the right home, with love and care, I am confident he will do well,” says Manjula.
