I was not a fur lover. But when COVID hit, my brother got a dog. Slowly, the number increased to two. Both were male dogs, and I found myself growing accustomed to their presence. A year passed, and one night, as I was sitting with my dogs in the home corridor, I spotted a new dog.
My two little naughties had brought her home as a girlfriend. She was a Pomeranian dog, timid and scared, looking out of place but hopeful.
Lily, as I later named her, was a street dog who had faced the harshness of life. Especially in countries like India, since she was a female, most people in our neighborhood didn’t allow her near their homes. She was often met with stones and shouts. Despite this, she followed our dogs, sensing some safety in their presence.
At first, my parents didn’t want her around either. She looked dirty, and there was concern that she might bring more puppies into the world. But I noticed something about Lily. She was persistent ,intelligent and patient. I want her to stay with us.
She would come to our house at night, carefully checking to see if anyone was around, and then eat the food left for our dogs.
One day, I decided to leave food specifically for her. I watched from a distance as she cautiously approached and ate. Days passed, and I continued the same. Gradually, she began to understand that I was the one feeding her. Then she started to stay at our home.
I would sit a little closer each night, letting her know she was safe. Eventually, I was able to touch her. She stood still, wary but accepting. Slowly, we became very good friends. She became part of our family and the queen of our fur family.
The next challenge was her cleanliness. Lily was scared of water and would scream if tied up. It seemed she had trauma associated with being restrained.
She didn’t even allow a tie-up belt during the bath, so no one was able to clean her. I didn’t want to cause her any more trauma. So, every day, I spoke to her gently, explaining that I wanted to clean her so she would look pretty and healthy.
Slowly, whenever she sat with me, I started combing her and began with a wet cloth, gently wiping her while she sat beside me. She wasn’t thrilled, but she tolerated it. As days turned into weeks, I increased the amount of water on the cloth, slowly cleaning her fur. She began to realize that I was trying to help.
When summer came and the heat was unbearable, I started to give her baths, ensuring she felt relief. She gradually accepted this routine, understanding it was for her benefit. She didn’t allow being tied with a rope, but she bore with me cleaning her for some time and following our routines.
Slowly, I was able to give her medicines and provide all the necessary care she needed. Lily was incredibly intelligent and became more protective of our home than any other dog.
She didn’t allow anyone to enter our property or take anything without our presence or permission. Because of this, some of our neighbors began to harbor resentment towards her.
Despite their feelings, Lily’s loyalty and protective nature made her an invaluable part of our family, demonstrating her deep love and commitment to us.
Lily gave birth three times, bringing many puppies into our home. People used to tease us, saying our house was like a dog farm.
Despite the comments, I embraced my role as a dog mom and did everything possible to care for them. I realized that our home was overflowing with love and happiness. Their presence brought us the purest form of love in the world, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
One day, we went out, and when we returned home, Lily was not there. She used to roam around our street for a while, but this time, she didn’t come back for days.
After two days, she somehow made her way back home, looking very ill. She had gotten food poisoning from somewhere. I consulted with a vet and gave her all the possible treatments, but despite our efforts, she left us after two days.
I cried silently in my room, cherishing the moments we had shared.
Each time I see her picture on my phone, my heart breaks a little more. As I write these words, tears are rolling down my cheeks. Still, she lives as a fur queen among our all dogs in our hearts.
I’m not sure how many of you can relate, but I realized that she taught me great lessons every day of her life. She showed me the true meaning of loyalty, patience, and unconditional love.
Lessons Learned from My Queen:
- Take baby steps:
If I were to use a belt and rope to confine her in a kennel at first, she might hate me and could create trouble. Instead, approaching her with freedom, little by little, was the approach.
Similarly, in our lives, if we try to control something suddenly, it won’t work, whether it’s our own minds, other people, or anything we aim to achieve. So always take baby steps.
2. Believe Yourself
Everyone said it was a bad decision to clean her and that it was impossible. However, consistent effort helped her understand that I was trying to help.
Similarly, in our lives, we may perceive things as impossible, but all we need to do is believe in ourselves and take consistent action.
3. Value our blessings and love unconditionally
Every time I enter the house, Lily shows unconditional love, as if she hasn’t seen me in years.
Even when we humans reunite after years, we may or may not express this level of affection or cherish small moments. We have lots of blessings in our lives. We often realize their value only after losing them.
I hope Lily has entered into at least one heart in this world. My love for my fur babies never ends; they all live close to my heart every day.
This is especially dedicated to all my furry companions who have left me and those who are still with me.
