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As India debated a contentious Supreme Court ruling on stray dogs, the residents of a small Kerala town suburb were erecting a statue to one.
On a small road junction in Eroor in Thripunithura, a municipality in Ernakulam district of Kerala, now stands a sculpture that depicts Eldho, a rescued stray who spent 14 years as the unofficial mascot of the community.
The white indie was rescued by the residents in the locality and lived with them for 14 years. The statue unveiled on August 11, four months after the death, is placed on a white the Kozhivettumveli junction.
Sanakan KV, an auto-rickshaw driver had found the abandoned puppy under a roadside tree in 2011, his small body covered in burns from what appeared to be scalding water.
Sanakan and the other auto drivers took care of Eldho. “We bought him medicines, gave him food and milk. That is when he started to look a little healthy”, Sanakan says.
The cute dog soon became the darling of the town’s residents. “Eldho used to accompany kids to their houses as they returned from school. He walked elderly people, giving them protection. He was a friendly dog and he never bit or attacked anyone,” says Sanakan.
His rescue was perhaps one man's compassion but soon the neighbourhood adopted him, with residents taking turns to feed the gentle stray.
The local municipal authority took care of the vaccinations and medicines it needed, a rare example of local government working with residents rather than against them on the stray dog issue, a major concern in towns and villages across Kerala.
"There were specific houses that made sure he ate every day, but really, everyone would buy him something," says Kirankumar VS, the local ward member. Eldho would wander freely during events and his presence was always welcomed. Even late at night, the dog could be found ambling between familiar houses.
"He was completely harmless – never scared anyone, never caused trouble," Kirankumar recalls. Eldho developed such a fondness for a particular sponge cake from the neighbourhood bakery that residents called it "Eldho cake".
Eldho died on April, 24 this year. He was found dead in a nearby stream and no one knows the reason. Sanakan says that it could have been due to old age. To honour Eldho, the community decided to erect a statue and pooled funds. The statue was sculpted by Jayan VK, a state and national award winner and his nephew Nibin VG.
Strays are being captured in one part of the country but in Kozhivettumveli, we see how a stray dog became a community’s favourite pet.