Traffic

For a change,the name 'Traffic' has been given to this stray by me and for a reason.. He sits at one of the busiest junctions in South Mumbai at Fountain and is loved by the traffic cops. In fact, it is very scary as you will find him precariously sitting almost right in the middle of the road as if he is managing the traffic. (He must have been a traffic cop in his earlier life).

Else he would be taking a break,curled up on the pavement outside the High Court (opposite the Central Telegraph office), where the pavement book-sellers used to be located before they were moved out.The traffic cops love him and speak very fondly of him. They feed him biscuits many times a day and he follows them around. In fact they were telling me that he is so intelligent that whenever they blow the whistle to ask someone to pull over for a traffic offence, he immediately runs towards the vehicle and waits near it's door as if he is on guard.

So if you are coming from Churchgate or V.T and going towards Regal theatre or Kala Ghoda , look on to your right at the T-Junction bang opposite the Flora Fountain and you will see the brown and white dog, ‘Traffic’ seemingly helping the traffic policemen manage the traffic.

Posted earlier on Straying Around

St Joseph's Bonzo

Bonzo is about 15 years old. But he still has lots of energy to bark at me when I go to treat him for various ailments that he encounters. He is looked after by the South Indian canteenwala of the St Joseph's School at R.C. Church. They are very fond of him and call WSD whenever he has any sickness.

Bonzo must be missing his two companions Coco and Bongo who were one of the first dogs to get adopted from WSD by the parish priest at the R C Church. They used to live in the Refectory till the priest got transferred and lived a very long and happy life at the school.

The whole slum knows Gachkya

I have known Gachkya for the past twelve odd years. The first time we got a call for a dog with a skin problem, the caller said “woh, mutari mein baitha hoga”. (He will be sitting inside the Urinal*), aur uska naam hai Gachkya”. (And his name is Gachkya).He was called Gachkya because of his skin problem and I figured that he got his name because of it.

The first time I remember being overpowered by the ammonia smell, having to carry out Gachkya who was sitting in the corridor of the Urinal and treat him. Promptly after being treated he would run back to occupy his position.So it became a ritual if Gachkya was on the first aid list to go to Nariman Point, checking first in the toilet where he would be always sitting, being overpowered by the ammonia smell, carrying him outside, treating him and seeing him trot back right into his toilet. This carried on for years and recently he has thankfully moved into the narrow gullies of the slum behind the toilet.

He has always been a very sweet and quiet dog allowing us to carry him around for want of a better position for his treatment. He always does a little run of the criss cross gullies just to tease us, wagging his tail in tow. It is a game that he has mastered over the years. People never ‘shoo’ him away no matter where he is sitting, inside the Urinal or in the slum gully.

Gachkya is a resident of the slum opposite Tulsiani Chambers in Nariman Point and last Sunday when I saw him, he was as patient, as quiet, as friendly and as sweet as ever. Gachkya must be at least fourteen years old.

*Urinal here means a toilet with only urinal facilities.

Also cross posted on Straying Around

The 'King' of P M Road

Raja, true to him name is looked after by a hawker Guddu who currently runs a ‘chaas’ business. Over the last seven years that we have known him, Guddu has been making a living by selling all kinds of things on the pavement of P M Road where Raja lives.

Raja was brought there as a puppy eight years ago. Guddu proudly states that Raja’s father is still around in the area and his brother was adopted and looked after by the corner ice cream store which has now been converted into a lottery shop located across the Strand Book House.

Raja spends his time sleeping on the footpath and hanging around. Guddu is very fond of him and all the other hawkers add “Raja toh hamara body guard hai”. (Raja is our bodyguard)

Vaidya Wadi's Moti

Everyone loves Moti. He has been living at Vaidya Wadi in Thakurdwar for the past thirteen years. Mr. Ahuja, a Vaidya Wadi resident confirms this. His younger son was born around the same time as Moti.

Vaidya Wadi has a cluster of old buildings with a long dead-end lane and narrow alleys between the buildings. Moti is a very smart dog and knows how to dogde us through the narrow alleys when we go every Sunday to look him up for all the maggot wounds that he keeps getting. He once got it on his eye and we thought that we will not be able to save the eye but luckily it healed.

Moti likes to hang around at the base of the Deepstambha of the heritage temple at the entrance which was renovated recently. He roams around through out the wadi and also on Thakurdwar road.

Raju from Oval Maidan

You will find him sitting amongst his people on a quiet Sunday morning. This is Raju, Champi’s replacement. After Champi died of old age, the sugarcane juice wala (the late Mauryaji’s son) wanted another pet. He found Raju somewhere in the suburbs just like the late Mauryaji had found Champi and brought him to Oval Maidan.

He has now grown from a very good looking pup to a handsome teen. He now wanders around the area, gets bitten and comes back with some wound or the other, the latest being on his head.

You can see him in the above photograph looking towards the sugarcane juice wala, the Oval Maidan and the Rajabai Tower in the background completing a pretty picture. The sugarcane juice wala agrees that it’s time that he is ‘fixed’ so that he stops wandering around.

The Parsi kua Rani

Good Ol’ Rani has been living at the Bhikaji Behram Kua (Parsi Well) for the past fifteen years. This well is located near Cross Maidan. You will pass it on your left if you are going from Churchgate towards Fountain at the corner of the road that turns towards fashion street was dug in 1725 by a Parsi citizen as a thanksgiving gesture after being saved from a potential calamity.

Rani has slowed down over the years and you will find her sitting in the compound of the well precinct. . She would be sitting either at the door under the photograph of Zarathustra or on one of the green wooden benches or somewhere near the well. She has always been a very gentle dog loved by the Parsi worshippers who visit this holy place and of course the attendants who dote on her. They are always very concerned about her and call WSD very promptly if she is suffering from any ailment.