BANGALORE: Rejected by many a parks in the city with the sign “No Pets Allowed”, mongrels and pet dogs find solace in the expanded kennel of Bengaluru, the Cubbon Park. Due to the small number of dog friendly parks in the city, owners are forced to take their pets for a walk in the few places that do not restrict their entry.City Express spoke to a few animal lovers, joggers and strollers, about the satisfaction they find in feeding numerous dogs, in the wee hours of the morning. The park has a wonderful sight of over 50 dogs running around, playing with citizens and eating the food they offer everyday.Situated in the commercial heart of the city, the Park gets crowded with vehicles and employees of nearby offices, during the day. But, as early as 7 AM many people come to feed the dogs as part of their daily routine. One such person, S Rabindran, has imbibed this habit over a period of 15 years.It all started when he, once, fed a stray puppy with milk, because her mother was incapable of feeding her. Since then, he visits the park at least four times a week, with bread, milk and biscuits for the 25 dogs that wait hungrily for him. After the death of his Golden Retriever, he is dedicated to feeding these dogs. A humble and honest man, he believes, “When we are blessed by God to live healthily, it is our duty to share whatever we have.”For their meaty, sumptuous breakfast, another hound of dogs wait for Kumkum Agarwal’s home made chicken biryani. Usually found amidst 10 dogs, wagging their tails with happiness, she patiently feeds each one. “It is surprising how they wait for their turn obediently, in a queue” she says. She is a sensitive reader of the dog mind and believes that ‘Dogs have better natural instincts than humans’. Taking care of dogs has never been a problem for her. After all, she owned five resplendent beasts herself.On one of her usual visits, two years ago, a grey-brown mongrel was hit by a car, which resulted in an injured pelvic bone. “She was caged for a long time, during recovery. So, she is too scared to run out in the open, like the other dogs.” she said. Because of her adorable features, Kumkum christened her ‘Pupsy’ and adopted her along with another ferocious beast — ‘Brownie’. A compassionate dog lover, she does not hesitate to stop a brawl between two blood thirsty canines. According to her, dogs don’t like people dressed in black clothes. “Brownie attacked a man, who was fully clad in black.” With an intimate relationship with man’s best friend, such interesting details can be observed. She visits the Park everyday and has been doing so for five years. A stone temple, at the gate of the Park, is also dotted with lazy brutes sprawled over the steps. The priest, Krishnamurthy, informed that abandoned puppies are brought here by unknown people, and a generations of dogs continue to breed and populate the area. A small portion of the prasadam is offered to them. “This has been their home for 40 years now”, he said.
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