Katerina and her family had arrived in New Delhi, India from their home nation of the Czech Republic just one month previously.
A family of dog lovers, Katerina, her husband, and her three children found the street dog situation in New Delhi staggering and heartrending.
A family of dog lovers, Katerina, her husband, and her three children found the street dog situation in New Delhi staggering and heartrending.
On August 22, 2015, Katerina set out on foot for her daughters’ school, her teenage son along for the walk. School was newly in session for the girls and the maze-like streets around the Masarik’s neighborhood quickly fooled she and her son into taking a wrong turn.
Although it seemed like bad luck at the time, a better turn of events could not have unfolded for Bobby and his two tiny sisters. For there on the sidewalk, Katerina spotted a bedraggled mother dog in sorry shape.
She was suffering from severe malnutrition, like so many of her canine peers, but it wasn’t just her skeletal state that took Katerina’s breath away – seeing humans approach, Mama tried to get up and run, but could gather little speed as she had to drag one untreated broken leg behind her. Buzzing flies around her other hind leg leg attracted Katerina’s attention next, and she spotted a gaping open wound infested with maggots.
She and her son unsuccessfully attempted to approach Mama, who was clearly a nursing mother, but the poor girl was clearly terrified, and they were afraid she would injure herself attempting to escape.
For the past month, given the dire street dog situation, Katerina had begun carrying a ziplock bag full of dog kibble with her on every outing. She quickly opened the bag and gently tossed kibble in Mama’s direction so she would at least have some sustenance until help could be sought for her – as Katerina was determined to find her again and aid her as much as possible.
But for now, it was time to carry on towards school, as her girls would be waiting for her. However, as Katerina and her son began to head off, a guard for a nearby building motioned them over. Katerina is fluent in English but there was still the language barrier; however, he made it clear that since they had shown interest in this poor mother, they might also want to be aware of something else nearby. He gestured towards a car.
Katerina and her son looked under the vehicle and spotted three ragged pups, clearly hungry and belonging to this mama dog who was in such desperate need and unable to provide for herself, let alone three babies.
Katerina knew she had found this family for a reason, and over the next few days, despite being new to the nation, she combed through her meager supply of contacts with single-minded determination. When phone calls, messages, and emails yielded no help, she knew she had to take matters into her own hands.
She drove directly to the animal hospital of an NGO in the area, explained the particulars of the little family, and made arrangements to bring the mother in herself as soon as possible.
At the time, her thinking was – help the mother, and this will help her babies.
While mom was in hospital receiving treatment, Katerina’s family visited the pups, bringing them bowls and proper food and water (once, she saw chicken bones but otherwise, nothing – and they’d only rain water to drink). Katerina also visited the mother in hospital a few times but the poor dog was so terrified of humans that she was becoming withdrawn and depressed, refusing to eat. Thankfully, however, her treatments were taking.
To finish Mama’s tale:
Given her antisocial nature, when her medical care was complete, she was vaccinated and returned to the street. She was a tender soul and could never have adjusted to home life, even if a home could have been found for her – a massive unlikelihood in itself. There are literally hundreds of thousands of dogs in need across India, and so few families willing or able to take them in, sadly.
Given her antisocial nature, when her medical care was complete, she was vaccinated and returned to the street. She was a tender soul and could never have adjusted to home life, even if a home could have been found for her – a massive unlikelihood in itself. There are literally hundreds of thousands of dogs in need across India, and so few families willing or able to take them in, sadly.
Katerina worried about Mama and visited her regularly once she had returned to her lonely existence on the street, with no pack for protection and no friends or peers nor regular caretaker until the Masariks had come along.
Katerina would drop kibble for Mama and verify, from a distance, that her injury had healed and that she was at least somewhat mobile with the other leg.
Tragically, one day, Mama was nowhere to be seen. In her place were new dogs, a ragtag pack of them ranging nearby warily. After asking several locals, Katerina finally learned that these street dogs had abruptly encroached on Mama’s territory one day, not long before. Mama was not in any physical or mental position to defend herself and was killed in one of her first encounters with them.
Her story is heartbreaking for so many reasons…the one light to shine out of it is that her three surviving babies were spared.
To return to the story of Bobby and his two sisters, however:
Katerina had visited the babies regularly while Mom was in hospital, and of course, provided for them even after her release. With a little patience, she had coaxed all three over their initial shyness and could now handle the babies readily. And as Katerina said – Bobby was ready to eat anytime! If he heard Katerina’s soothing voice and smelled her kibble, he and his sisters materialized magically.
Bobby had a very sad face, sadder than his sisters’. It was as if he understood that he and his siblings were doomed to a brief existence of scarce resources and much pain here on the street, like their mother before them.
When mom was killed, Katerina knew she could not stand it if anything happened to the babies, who were still young enough to socialize to humans, unlike their mother before them. Determined to save their lives, she scooped up all three babes and brought them back to the Czech embassy compound.
One of the first things the pups did was investigate the mysterious stuff we call grass and soil. Two amazing elements they had never encountered on the streets of New Delhi! Always famished, and delighted at what they perceived to be a food source, they fell to gobbling mouthfuls of dry soil and bits of grass, much to Katerina’s astonishment and dismay.
Another early adventure was when the pups visited a veterinarian for the first time. They were dewormed, de-fleaed, de-ticked, and immunized to protect their fragile health. What an experience!
At home, they had a warm, soapy bath, experiencing cleanliness for the first time in their short lives, since Mama had been too ill to attend to these matters. All three pups had filthy, mite-infested ears and the Masariks used up a whole package of Q-Tips cleaning them out!
It did not take long for Bobby and his sisters to realize that there were much more wondrous things to eat than soil, out in this new big wide world that was opening up before them day by day, thanks to the generosity and compassion of Katerina and her family.
Yummy foods – served on a regular, consistent basis. Perpetual access to clean water in bowls. Dog beds, a roof over their heads, and no more being subjected to firecrackers in the street, random angry passersby, and the zooming of cars passing perilously close by. The babies’ lives had taken a miraculous 180-degree turn!
To this day, it is hard for Katerina to think of their mama, who never knew her babies would end up as house dogs, safe for life, all thanks to that one serendipitous wrong turn on a sweltering day in August.
Today, all three babies have grown into adolescents, at 7 months old – “tweens” who love nothing more than to romp and play!
They live at the embassy where they share their foster home with the family’s two dogs, a Jack Russell and a small terrier mix.
Other families in the embassy compound have dogs and Bobby and his siblings seem to get along well with those larger dogs also.
Bobby’s two sisters are beyond lucky – they have found a loving adoptive home overseas in Holland, and will soon fly to meet their new family!
Sad-faced Bobby is the last of his litter to lack a loving forever family to call his own.
Bobby’s foster family adores him! He was raised with compassion and TLC from the moment he came to their home. He is a shy boy but once you win his heart, he will rub against your legs like a cat to show you how much the love is reciprocated.
Bobby’s family describes him a very funny boy who loves to be babied with belly rubs and ear pats. He is mellow and likes to take it easy, compared to his active sisters. His foster mom describes him as a “day-napper” and a late sleeper on the weekends – a dog after our own hearts!
Bobby has a wonderfully-healthy appetite and is very food-motivated, which should make training him easy and fun.
At home, he eats dry kibble mixed with chicken and rice – and he eats every morsel served religiously.
Bobby is potty-trained and great about baths, grooming, nail trims, ear cleaning – his foster family even brushes his teeth!
He loves to go for rambling walks, enjoys playing and sniffing his way at his own mellow pace through the embassy garden, and above all – he loves to cuddle with his people. Bobby has lived among several older children (ages 10 and upwards) at the embassy, including those of his foster family, and has done great with them all.
Bobby and his siblings were treated for a tick-borne disease shortly after they were found and are now completely healthy. Bobby is neutered and vaccinated. He is 7 months old and is a petite boy, weighing approximately 25 lbs. He will probably gain 5-10 lbs before he is done growing.
ISDF cannot wait to meet this sweet boy and help him on the road to his forever future here in the USA!
Bobby, in honor of your mother, we are thrilled to meet you and help her look down in peace now, knowing all three of her babies are at last safe and sound, thanks to the compassion of the Masarik family and our ISDF rescue partner, Meredith.
Thank you to our supporters and friends for reading Bobby’s story and holding him in your heart.
If you are interested in learning more about Bobby, please contact Dawn Trimmel at 414-426-4148 or email her at trimmel@usa.net.
4 Responses
Kristen Paton
OMG…how beautiful, sad and heartwarming all at the same time… I have my own lovely Desi girl…(now almost 5 years old) a wonderful gift… I pray Bobby finds a loving home….and would love to be updated on him.
Izumi
Kristen, thank you so much for your kind words! How lovely that you are a desi mom!! Are you sure she is not looking for a desi brother…? 😉
We promise to update as soon as Bobby is adopted! His story will come up as a “happy tail” once he finds his perfect forever family.
Thanks so much for the kind words for Bobby!!! We too cannot wait to see him settled and home, at last!
Thank you!!
Heather R
I have submitted the form showing my interest. He is perfect and I would love to have him!
Dawn
Hi Heather,
Where do you live? Bobby is looking for a home and I would love to talk to you more about this incredibly sweet deserving dog who has overcome so many obstacles in his short little life.
Please feel free to call me at 414-426-4148.
Thank you,
Dawn