Talking Point
Dogs are a man’s best friends and this maxim holds true for most of us. But, to a few, dogs are not that great. They are scary to some or just not liked. Well, it was the latter Kanak, who did not like dogs at all. But, when her granddaughter introduced a puppy to the household, she realised that rather than despising it, Kanak absolutely fell in love with the puppy. This change of sentiments towards dogs also motivated her into helping other strays.
The now-viral video, with more than 5 lakh views, was shared on Instagram by Humans of Bombay. In the short clip, a 90-year-old woman named Kanak tells her story about how she fell in love with dogs. “A few years back, my granddaughter, Sana, got Coco, a puppy to our house. And honestly, I never liked dogs; bas nahi pasand the (I just didn’t like them). And I genuinely thought nothing could change my mind. But Coco changed everything. Aur aisa kuch nahi kara tha ussne (He didn’t do anything special) he’d just eat, play, or laze around. But even when he did such simple things, he looked very cute. I couldn’t believe myself when I first said, ‘Kitna pyaara lag raha hai (He looks so cute),’ while looking at him. Mera toh dil aa gaya tha Coco pe (I had given Coco my heart)!” Kanak said. Kanak then goes on to narrate how Coco became a big part of her life and how it revolved around him. “And then on, I’d just love feeding him and playing around with him. As years passed, he became a huge part of my life. My days started and ended with him! Even on my 90th birthday, he was right beside me as I cut the cake,” she added.
However, Kanak’s love didn’t stay restricted to Coco only. She started caring about other stray dogs as well, all because of her granddaughter’s fondness for dogs. Sana even wanted to start a shelter for street dogs. And, she did start one after a local dog passed away. Then, there was no looking back. Sana used to arrange for vets for the pups and also got them vaccinated. However, due to Kanak’s old age, she couldn’t see to the things that Sana did herself. So, she decided to cook for the dogs and started waking up at 4.30 am to do it. And later, Kanak also took the initiative to feed them herself. “Daily, I’d wake up at 4:30 am and spend hours making meals. This went on for two years. Sana would show me videos and pictures of them enjoying the meal. My heart would ache, and so last month, I decided apne haath se khilaungi unhe (I’ll feed them with my hands),” she quoted. “Now my life revolves around these dogs, my day actually starts and ends with them! I mean, I’m 90 today and I have done everything possible. But now, in my 90s, seeing myself do something I never imagined is also an adventure, no?”
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