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  Casper, a seasoned rescuer and guardian, welcomed Jackie into the fold. Soham Mukherjee/HSI

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  Meet the puppies, Chan and Jackie! Soham Mukherjee/HSI

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  Chan will greet anyone visiting the AHF. Soham Mukherjee/HSI

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  Jackie, with her sweet and gentle disposition, loves to meet visitors, and children in particular. Soham Mukherjee/HSI

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  Resting after a day’s worth of PR work at AHF. Soham Mukherjee/HSI

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  Resting and smiling. Soham Mukherjee/HSI

by Keren Nazareth

Casper is a boxer who was brought up with other animals in need and is now a seasoned rescuer and guardian to many in his owner’s house and neighborhood. In one instance, he befriended a few pups and their mother, who had birthed a litter on a construction site close to where Casper was taken on walks.

Because of Casper, his people took notice of these six little ones and their undernourished mom. Slowly, they realized that the pups were venturing out for food, which forced them to cross a road. Unfortunately, four of them were eventually hit by cars, and Casper’s owners decided to take action to save the remaining two.

Animal Help Foundation has been working to protect animals and provide them treatment for more than two decades in Ahmedabad. HSI’s Soham Mukherjee decided to approach this organization to take in the two puppies. A pack of stray and abandoned dogs that AHF had cared for over the years had become smaller as some of the animals grew old and passed on.

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A new home found

“They came in as skinny, shy puppies who did not trust anyone in this new place. They needed supervision at night and used to sleep at the resident caretaker’s cottage. Their appetite was so low that they had to be hand-fed for the first few days. However, with ample socialization, care and lots of love from the staff and resident dogs, they became a super-friendly and happy duo.

“Now named Jackie and Chan, they are first ones to greet anyone visiting AHF and continue to turn people in to dog and animal lovers,” says Akanksha, an animal care manager for the facility. Today, she tells us, many people who have heard their story are eager to introduce their children to these two who are so gentle and yet retain that character that dog lovers so appreciate.

Inseparable friends

Later, the puppies’ mother littered again and Soham and Akanksha did a similar rescue with two more puppies, named Bruce and Lee. Bruce and his mother are now gone, but Lee survives. In fact, “A month and a half after he arrived at the shelter, Lee was again rescued by Casper when he fell in an underground tank with the lid missing at midnight two houses away from us,” Soham says, smiling while he recounts the fantastic tale.

Casper, Jackie, Chan and Lee make an adorable sight when together, and their stories have happy endings that can definitely lift anyone’s spirits.