In a tragic turn of events, a dog in Ratnagiri sacrificed his life fighting off a leopard in order to protect his family. Tiger, a mixed-breed dog, succumbed to his injuries on 24th of December, a day after he was fatally injured in the leopard attack. Tiger had only been adopted by his new family only months back…
Sometime in March this year, Tiger was abandoned by his previous family. The young dog roamed the streets alone and confused, barely finding any means of sustenance. One day he wandered into a residential complex in Bhavani Peth where he decided to stay for a while. The building guards were instructed to beat him up in order to get rid of him; but their weapons were no match against Tiger’s primal aggression.
Tiger stayed put and a kind lady started feeding the dog, who mostly minded his business when he wasn’t threatened with assault. Soon, Ayushi Lalwani, a rescuer, learned about Tiger; she made several attempts to win him over and was successful eventually. Soon after, Tiger was vaccinated and sterilized and put up for adoption. However, the numerous appeals fell on deaf ears as no one wanted to take home a desi dog.
That’s when rescuers Bhagyendrasinh Chudasama and Anita Shetty helped spread the word for Tiger’s adoption and finally managed to find a nice family that agreed to welcome him to their home. And so, arrangements were made to take Tiger to Ratnagiri, where a new home and destiny awaited him.
It didn’t take Tiger very long to fall in love with his new family, their farm and the village folks. He lived happily for several months, adoring and protecting his people.
On the morning of December 23rd, he went with his parents on their usual rounds across the farm. The highly perceptive dog immediately sensed that danger was lurking much too near his loved ones; and within moments the enormous leopard intercepted Tiger’s path. An extremely violent fight ensued between the two; finally, Tiger chased the leopard away but suffered a deep wound on his back.
Tiger got preliminary treatment at the veterinary set-up in Ratnagiri; rescuers were all set to take him to the much better equipped VOSD sanctuary, but the dog, who had suffered way too much blood loss, ultimately buckled under the trauma of the fatal injury.
The dog, who was once rejected and abused by people, sacrificed his life for his human family. That’s how dogs are: they are fearless, they forget betrayals and they martyr themselves in the line of duty. It’s about time we accept their superiority and embody that level of toughness and integrity.
VOSD is India’s largest non-profit organization for dogs. Over 20,000 dogs have been rescued by us over a decade and we admit 300-400 dogs to VOSD Sanctuary & Hospital annually. VOSD provides the most sophisticated and expensive medical care and rehabilitation services at no cost to stray dogs and abandoned pet dogs.
VOSD is a dog’s best friend. To know more about us and support our work, visit: https://vosd.in