It happened, despite knowing the risk
involved. Gut instinct said call it off, turn around and walk away.
But, we adopted a puppy. We've named her Nani Baag (Nani-little girl,
Baag- lion). We feed her, made her a little shelter and play with
her. She follows practitioners to the clinic, but
occasionally gets kicked by locals. We try to discourage
her from wandering too far, but at the same time have to let her
learn lessons from her environment.
So? What is the danger in taking in an
abandoned 8 week old puppy? For starters, we are only here for a
temporary time. We pamper this butterball and create a comfort with
humans she will never find again. The community here does not care
for dogs, they might have them around to guard the house, but they do
not treat them like family members. Dogs are a nuisance. They are
dirty, mangy, aggressive at times and terrified of humans. The people
kick, beat and abuse the dogs. It's a different society. It's not my
place to judge nor change it. Therefore, our care-taking of this
puppy is a problem. What will happen to her when we leave? I imagine
she'll be treated like all the other local dogs. She's a fighter, but
our departure will be heartbreaking.
Aside from that, our neighbors hate
dogs. The dogs poop near their house and under the clotheslines. They
scavenge and beg for food. One of the old neighbors throws rocks at
them. Furthermore, we heard the neighbors may have expressed their grievance with us having
a puppy to our hospitable host, Auntie. The last thing I want
is to create a rift with the neighborhood. That's a poor
representation of the Acupuncture Relief Project and a lack of
foresight in the team, myself included.
Yet I find the puppy comforting. Nothing beats hugging an adorable little bundle of puppy after a rough day. Her little face makes everyone smile. It is extreme selfishness that we have her around still. I know this and I am as responsible as everyone else, if not more so as a leader. I miss my animals back home. I struggle to witness what I see as cruelty to the animals. I know I can't do anything about it and this helpless feeling is uncomfortable. I know this might end badly for Nani, for my emotional state, for the group of volunteers, but I don't know how to stop caring for her.
Is it possible to take the puppy back
to America? Yup, it sure is. It will cost money and someone must
actually commit to taking her, teaching her and realizing that
puppies grow up. Her puppy cuteness will grow into a teenage dog who
eats everything, destroys personal items and could reek havoc to
those unprepared for a full grown dog. One volunteer initially said
she'd take her, but she is wavering due to the financial commitment.
I don't have the money, plus Nathan already has a dog I struggle to
like most of the time. Despite my affection for this puppy, I know I
can't take her home and my heart breaks a little each time I hold
her.
It's not all bad. There is a dog family
with a puppy a few months older than Nani Baag. The two pups are friends and we are hoping this little pack will adopt her into it. All three
of them play together and she is learning dog socializing skills.
'Ke garne' is a Nepali term meaning,
what to do? It is said with a shrug of the shoulders and an admission
of acceptance. The bus isn't running today? Ke garne. You've run out
of the medicine I need? Ke garne. We've adopted a puppy we shouldn't
have? Ke garne.
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