Shadow 's death saddens everyone

We brought him home when he was a one month old puppy. He was all black. The brown colour on his legs had not appeared yet. It was February and nights were shivering cold. I had put his cage in the tv lounge. It was his first night away from his parents and siblings.

One month old swag

His mother and father were German shepherds and the size of their clutch was 6. Missing his parents and siblings, he started barking at odd hours of the night. Our TV lounge has doors to all the rooms on the ground floor. Sensing how uncomfortable the sleep would be for the family, I brought him upstairs in my study room. He inspected my room and liked it. When he had gotten tried of roaming in the room and sniffing books lying on the floor, he nestled between my feet. I went to my bed and he came and again slept with my black shoes. It dawned on me that he is missing his siblings and mistaking my shoes as his other puppies. I felt cruel for separating him from his family so early. I kept my shoes in his cage and he slept peacefully whole night.

Since he had not spent much time with other puppies, he developed a habit of biting us. The puppies which spend first three months with the parents and clutch, learn it by instinct that biting is not a good behavior. When he bites other puppies, they make a displeasuring bark, telling the biting puppy that this is not a good behavior. We solved the problem by making a short high pitched cry noise whenever it tried to bite us. He forgot the habit quite soon.

Bonding!

We named him Shadow the next day. He became the best friend and play mate of the children in the family. My son Shafay would go and check on him many times during the day. In the evening we would unleash Shadow and he would happily chase the kids for hours. He also liked the kids more than the adults, because the former would sneak toffees, candies and biscuits to him.

My younger brother Moid was his keeper. He remained like a dotting owner. Giving him food in the morning and evening and often giving him an afternoon snack. 

After becoming part of every family moment during last 6 months. Shadow breathed his last on 10th July 2017. He stopped eating and our folk pet wisdom suspected that its because of very warm weather. We took him to a vet, then admitted him in a veterinary hospital, gave him saline drips, but he died. Shadow’s death brought a shadow of sadness on the whole family and the kids stopped playing in the lawn in the evening.

Weeks before his death!

PS: The parvo virus is preventable. Prima Dog is the name of vaccine which is available in Pakistan. We gave him one dose when he was 3 months old, but were not advised to give another dose. The second dose could have saved his life. Symptoms of parvo are that dog looses appetite, develops diarrhea with blood. 

National Songs and Bitter Memories

Lately, my friend Naveed, who works in mobilink, brought a DVD from his office containing national songs. I put the disk in my computer but failed to enjoy the national songs. These songs used to give me goose bumps in the past but not after the death of my dear friend Major Pervaiz Siddique. He embraced martyrdom in an operation against separatist. No one in my family listens to patriotic songs, or reads such literature after his death.

He is one of the two people in my life with whom I or other members of my family have no bitter memories. The other person in my late grand father Professor M Mehfooz.

It’s very easy to read stories of soldiers sacrificing their lives for the motherland and be proud of than loosing a loved one. I used to watch a lot of documentaries on army but not after his death. My voice chocks and tears swell in my eyes. One can’t enjoy the tastes of life during gloom. Food doesn’t taste right, music does not lift mood, traffic noise becomes mute, jokes can’t be enjoyed and laughter becomes alien.

Pakistan has lost so many soldiers and officers in the recent operation in the Malakand division. My uncle left a widow and a son behind. I feel week in my knees when I try to imagine the living conditions of so many widows and orphans. I have very loving and trusting parents and their love have contributed a lot in my brought up. No one can substitute their affection.

Some times I wonder what impact the death of armymen will have on lives of their families. I learnt so many things from my dad. Who will teach these kids? How prospective flaws in their lives will be compensated with?

I can't even tolerate rangers hoisting or lowering the national flag in Wagha border. Perhaps I have seen the other side of the picture.