Parenting A Pet
Zeba Khan, an ardent animal lover and entrepreneur, recalls how her first pet chose her and changed her life forever…
I have always wanted to have a dog; however, my parents were always against it. Me being me I had a steadfast resolve that someday I would definitely own a dog.
Ginger my labrador pup entered my life in 2013. I was always under the impression that we as humans get to choose which pup we want to take home. In my case, it was the opposite. This little furry ball came & sniffed me & sat on my lap as though she knew who I was. Wow, aren’t they smart! I was not planning to take her home the same day coz I hadn’t come prepared with any basket or the correct mode of transport to ferry her home. This kid certainly was a determined one & held onto my jeans as though she didn’t trust me to come back & take her home. Oh, those eyes!
I was like OK, let us go home & the shine in her eyes was hopeful. I knew that this baby would not jump out so I zipped her in my duffle bag hung sideways so that I could see her & halfway through she popped her head out. She sure was inquisitive! On the way we picked up some dog food, water, and a feeding bowl for her, and the moment I stepped into the pet shop she wanted to be out of the purse and run around to explore.
The way she chose to tag along with me, I realized that this was something that was already destined. She had the softest eyes in that little puppy face which could melt your heart & the energy she always had was just amazing. I named her Ginger (due to her colour). Ginger- aka Ginu for short -spent 10 years with me & was a true blessing. She was always up to some mischief or the other, from being the naughty kid to destroying everything in the house to being an attention seeker.
As the years passed, she learned to be the most disciplined pup around. She turned out to be my best travel companion she was everything that I always wanted in a dog. When she was just about 3 months old, I fainted in the bathroom. She, with her little paws, clawed at the bathroom door because she understood that there was something amiss. When I came to, I saw the paw marks on the door and her worried face. That day it dawned upon me that she was my shadow. Irrespective of what you're doing, she had to be there. She’d just pry open doors shamelessly with her little, soft nose and walk in and sit by me. I bought my first car in 2014 and she hopped in as though it was hers. It was like the car was meant for her, she was my best travel companion. We traveled a lot together, creating memories & having fun along the way.
August 26, 2016, I met with an unfortunate car accident. By God's grace, Ginu was not injured at all, however I ended up with a spinal injury. The moment I was taken out of the car she was the one who jumped out without any thought that there were glass shards outside and she'd put her head on my leg and she was just looking at me as if wondering how she could take the pain away. It broke my heart to see those eyes because I did not know how to respond at that time. When she came to meet me in the hospital, she sensed something was wrong and she froze mid-air. She patiently waited for me to recover, spending each day by my side, walking on her own without a leash. She lived a fulfilling life till 10 years when she welcomed home a new pup. She was the ever-loving big sister and took her under her wings. Ginu & Pattu formed a bond that is hard to put into words. Despite age, ailments & low vision she would gather the strength to hop into the new car as if it was just for her. One fine day she just crossed over the rainbow on the 16th of June 2023 leaving me broken & alone. Sometimes it still feels like she is there, her memories, her antics I still recall. I have loads of pictures from when she was a baby, to the time she passed away. I miss you, my baby girl!
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