Remembering Bitsy

My wife's sisters, all but the eldest, are mad about dogs. Before her marriage,in early 70s, her family had Bhutto, the dog named after the Pak.leader. After their marriage the Sulur sisters brought up dogs of their own - Geetha had two in the house before 'Punch' died some time back.

The thing about these pets is that they are treated as family. My wife Lakshmi is 'periamma' to Chitra's Joey; and Geetha's 'Shadow'. Baby, my wife's Mysore sister, lost her 'Prince' few weeks back. Rajesh's 'Tuffy' died a few years back.
Our own Bitsy died in 1993, on this day (oct.31). He was picked up from the street, when he was only a few days old. Our son, then a schoolboy, brought the puppy home in early 1980s when were in Bhopal. We named him Bitsy, a dark chap who grew up to be sturdy brat. He grew up to be a terror to hawkers and door-to-door salesmen. We had to shut him in one of the rooms whenever we had visitors at home.

Bitsy particularly disliked khaki. He once chased our postman all over the front-yard of our apartment block in Chandigarh, until the terrorised postman managed to climb up a tree. Where he stayed till our office boy Dinkar coaxed Bitsy back inside. If at all Bitsy obeyed anyone, he was Dinkar.

Bitsy moved with the family, from Bhopal to Chandigarh, and then to Chennai, where he died, after prolonged weakening of his hind-legs. He could barely stand in his last days. It was on this day (Oct.31) sixteen years ago we took Bitsy to Veterinary hospital at Egmore. The doctor who examined him declared Bitsy was anemic and referred him for blood transfusion.

Bitsy had been, for some weeks, weak on his hind-legs, showing signs of fatigue , and been totally uninterested in taking a walk. He had to be carried by my wife to the car.In his earlier days, there was nothing he loved more than a ride in our car. And Bitsy occupied much of the back-seat. We had taken him on car ride a number times to the Marina beach, and to my wife's sister's, and Bitzy's 'periamma's', place in Kotturpuram.

On that October day in 1993 Bitsy was very reluctant to get into our Dolphin car. Presumably, he sensed we were taking him to hospital; and that he wasn't going to return home. Dogs, they say, could sense when their end was near. We drove Bitsy to the hospital, where they gave him blood-transfusion. After they were through with the drips on the table, Bitsy stood up on the operating table with renewed energy.
Seeing him springing to his feet, I thought for a movement Bitsy would be up and running. It was just for a flickering moment that I sensed a new-found energy in Bitsy. For in the next moment he collapsed on my wife's shoulder, as she tried to get him off the table. I can't forget the sight of Bitsy, his sorrowful eyes pleading, as it were, not to let go of him. We watched him go helplessly, with our eyes welling up.

We chose to leave him there, at the hospital. It wasn't an easy decision to make. The doctor said they would do a postmartem, if we donated Bitsy to the hospital. And we wanted to ascertain the cause of death. It was kidney failure.