Suriya didn't have the life he deserves at first. Born in June 2019, he was rescued from the factory. Sadly, Suriya's family neglected him. They didn't neuter him. In fact, I doubt they paid any attention to him at all. Why? He was left tied up all day long on the porch.
Until, one day, his luck changed. Poovarni found him in April last year during the first MCO and gave him a loving home.
"He is quite a timid dog," Poovarni says, “but he barks ferociously at strangers when the gates are closed – earning his keep, it seems.”
Like other dogs, Suriya is afraid of thunder and fireworks. He doesn't like being touched by anyone except his owner. He eventually allowed Poorvani's father to pet him after six months. But now, he just loves going to visit them and makes a fuss when it's to go back.
When friends come over, Suriya doesn't mind as long as they don't try to touch him. “He decides who he wants to be friends with and is allowed to pet him. I just let him be himself,” Poovarni says.
It took months for them to learn each other’s rhythms and behaviors. Once he realized he's safe and loved now, Suriya showed his true colors.
“He’s very cheeky and intelligent,” Poovarni says. “One day his tag went missing, and I was asking him about it while pointing at his collar. Later, he stood at a spot near the garden and refused to move. I went over to check and found the tag at his feet. I was quite amazed, not to mention proud.”
Whenever she is folding towels and sheets, he would play with them. “That’s his cue to play with the cloth, making the task impossible,” she laughs. “He turns into a monster!”
She reveals Suriya is spoilt, but he deserves it after all he's been through. “He conned his way into my bed, so he sleeps with me now and I only get one foot of space,” she says.
Suriya is now his owner's clock, regularly waking her up. he insists on playing every evening.
“Now that I’m working from home, he will wait for me to get out of my chair and will fetch his toy ball,” Poovarni adds happily. “Every time I come home, he greets me with a toy in his mouth. We go for walks twice a day, morning and night.” Poovarni also feeds him nothing but the best. His favorite is salmon, Brie cheese, and Greek yogurt. “He hates any kind of vegetable and can be really stubborn if he doesn’t like what’s being served – he will sniff and walk away.” She reveals. After dinner, Suriya likes to people-watch.
Suriya and Poovarni changed each other's lives for the better.“I always hesitated to get a pet as I thought I wasn’t ready,” she reflects, “but he has changed all of that.“Now I can’t imagine the house without him. He has turned my house into a home.”
She encourages everyone to adopt if they can. “These animals have a way of stealing your heart – in addition to your bed and couch – and keep it with them forever.”