About two weeks back I had occasion to call Chennai Corporation dog catcher squad to take couple of street dogs away from my locality. The dogs were creating a nuisance and also had bitten couple of people.
The dog van came and the catchers had a knotted leash and within a short period of time had caught one dog while it's friend ran away. After half an hour of chasing, the other dog was also caught. The guys told me that in all likelihood the dogs would be given anti rabies injection and then brought right back. This wasn't what I wanted. I arranged to pay them some money in order to ensure that the dogs were not brought back. The guys haggled and then we settled on an amount but I would pay only half the amount immediately and the balance after 10 days if we found that the dogs weren't back.
About 5 days after this incident the canine friends were back. The advance money was written off. And as a lady in Blue Cross advised me we, human beings, had to learn to peacefully coexist with dogs.
Yesterday when I was sitting in the neighborhood park, couple of dogs were walking around sniffing everything and occasionally barking. One of them came to me, sniffed me and licked me.
I thought that it was perhaps the same dog that I had arranged to be sent away. And yet when he licked me it seemed to me that he was telling me that all was forgiven.
I was reminded of the Thirukkural:
Inna cheithaarai oruththal avarnaana
Nannayam cheithu vidal.
Meaning
The best way to treat a person who has harmed you is to embarrass them by being nice to them.
I still am not sure whether the dog had learnt Thirukkural but he sure practiced it. Way better than me definitely.
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