I saw a stray dog die in front of my Grampa's house...and I was forbidden to do anything about it! Blame it on the ridiculous belief that almost every stray dog is rabid and that's not a life worth saving.
The poor thing was actually alive and people mistook it for dead just because flies had started swarming around it... A dehydrated... defeated creature.... without even the rudimentary strength to shoo the offending insects away... almost like he'd given up already. His only sign that he was alive was the heaving of his belly... as he struggled to breathe his last. And all the other hundred and odd people who passed that way did was give it a curious stare and move.
It did take a while to have my grandparents believe that the poor thing was indeed alive! And when he did see the belly heave up painfully and laboriously, my grampa smiled sheepishly and confessed he mistook it for a dead one. Now I ask you... these same people criticize hospitals for negligence. And NO! This is not that simple a matter! Life's at stake here as well!
I wasted no further time in accusations and called the Blue Cross of India
(Their's was the only phone which was answered. SPCA!! Hullo? Do you even exist? Or are your 'staff' busy playing 'duck duck goose' when animal lives are at stake?)
I wasted no time in letting the Blue Cross know that there was a dog in very critical condition. And I also gave them my number and the address... But that was all in vain... for in another half an hour, the poor thing had died... (yes! There's just one Blue Cross office and its on the other side of the city! Nice!)
And just to get the records straight, they haven't come yet... and it's been hours since we called.
And nobody even seemed to be bothered that a life was lost... except silly stupid me! I sat there beside the dog, crying my eyes out while the other 'humans' walked away muttering under their breath. And One little thing... I wasn't and shall never be ashamed of what I did. If someone had thought of calling the Blue Cross earlier. It had apparently been there since early morning. And they HAD to wait for me to drop by. They must've decided that it was not their business... These are the same people who stand around an accident victim for the free drama. The same people who'll stand back and look at a girl getting mollested in a train. The same people who'll shrug their shoulders saying what they could do and then complain that the system wasn't right. It's about time they WOKE UP! Did something for a change.
And I've decided... my path is clear in front of me. And I guess this incident just made my resolve even stronger. I'll DO something. And when I do that.. I needn't talk about it....my deeds should and shall talk for themselves.
P.S. Remember the nosy neighbour I had, well... she was there and she did make it a point to ask me if it was dead. Well Lady... at the rate at which the world's going... it wouldn't surprise me if most of us die just like that... unattended... sans dignity... sans mercy. And in someways... that shall complete the circle of Karma. Though... I don't decide that!
P.S. Time - 9:00PM
The people from Blue Cross never turned up... So, I guess I should be thankful the creature had to suffer less in a way. But that still is never an excuse for their indifference.
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