But Prithvi is a masculine name!

For the past few years Matt and I have been dog deprived. Having only recently graduated from college, we haven't had the opportunity to keep pets since we moved out of our parents' houses. We longed for those elated welcomes home, wagging tails, and even that guilty look they give when they know they have done something wrong. For all of these reasons we planned to adopt a puppy when we moved to India.

Matt started asking me when we could get a puppy almost as soon as we touched down in Chennai. Ok, so maybe not that quickly, but just about. After several months of many changes I kept saying that I wanted some time to settle in. That didn't last very long. Two weeks after our arrival I set about finding the perfect dog. Back in DC we had mulled over several breeds that might be able to handle the heat. What about some sort of shepard? What about a Scottie? A Westie? Can we even find those dogs there? I quickly realized that we could not. I found that the breeds available in Tamil Nadu were German Shepard, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Doberman Pincher, Labrador and "mongrel". All but the last of those dogs were larger than we were looking for. Also, I could not imagine how some of those hairier breeds could survive the weather!

I asked around and found out about an animal rescue here in Chennai. One of my friends volunteers with Blue Cross of India, which is similar to the ASPCA (http://www.bluecross.org.in/). He told me that Blue Cross had many cute puppies just aching to be adopted. As my eyes lit up he texted the director of the center to schedule a visit for me. That very afternoon Prakash and I headed to the southern part of the city to visit the animals.

A very small and somewhat frail man welcomed us, very excited that I was interested in his life's work. He gently waved away a cloud of flies as he told me that the rescue was founded in 1959 and subsisted on donations. We continued to walk around the sprawling compound while he told me depressing story after depressing story. The city used to deal with the stray dog population in a very gruesome manner. This only changed in the past ten years, he told me with a grave expression. We passed a shaded section of the grounds where pure bred dogs limped about in terrible shape. As insects landed in their wounds, our guide told Prakash and me that when the pure breeds get sick, many people don't want to bother with their care. When this happens they abandon them; tying them to the fence of Blue Cross. They do this because they are too embarrassed to bring them inside. They can't face the shame of leaving their dog.

Next we visited the menagerie. We saw cows, goats, pigs, turkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs, kittens, even crows. Blue Cross does not discriminate when it comes to animals in need. If an animal is in distress, they do their best to help.

At this point I was anxious to see the puppies. I needed a lift after seeing all of those miserable creatures. Then our guide told me something that broke my heart. In a quiet voice he said that most of the puppies come in from the slums in shopping bags. People drop off dozens of puppies...in bags. Ugh.

With a lump in my throat, I was more ready than ever to play with some baby animals. Stepping over a trench filled with workers building a new shelter, I could hear their little yips of joy. People! People! Food? People!

They were in a pen housed in a building that was open on two sides. Forty to fifty pairs of the little ears perked up and forty to fifty tails began to wag. Some wagged slowly, others furiously. How was I to pick just one? Luckily, as often happens, she picked me. Our guide kept handing me different pups. Some dark, some brindle, all male. Then I noticed a little caramel-colored thing circling my ankles. Her cold nose sniffed my feet and cried to get my attention. I picked her up and knew she was the one. This was our puppy. Prakash smiled and nodded approval.

-"I'll take her!"
-"What about this one, too?"


Oh how I wanted to take two. I wanted to save all of them but restrained myself.


After some paperwork and a flea dip she was ours! Our little slum dog.

I thought I was being clever by giving our adorable little puppy an Indian name. Matt and I talked about naming her after a Hindu goddess, so I set about finding the perfect name. One of our favorites was Rama's wife, Sita. I kept looking. I pulled up trusty Wikipedia to find a list of goddesses where I found the perfect name. The article describes Prithvi as the personification of the Earth and the Mother as well as the lesser-known wife of Vishnu. Great! When I excitedly tell Indians our puppy's name they often look confused and reply "but Prithvi is a masculine name". Oops!

-Abbie