I first saw Meena on some waste ground near South Beach, I was on the back of the motorbike and Maureen was driving we had been to feed Crunchie, Fudge and Cookie (the 3 Amigos). As we set of I noticed a little puppy sticking its head out from behind a post, but we did not have time to stop, we where on our way for me to feed Devie and her 7 pups and Maureen was going to see Lucky the lovely pup she saved from her last visit to India in the November 2014.
That night I became really ill I never got much sleep, so the following day I was not fit enough to go out, so Maj and Maureen went out to do the rounds of giving water, feeding and giving injections for distemper, to the dogs, while I stayed in for some much-needed rest.
Some hours later Maureen and Maj returned, I knew they were up to something they both looked so pleased with themselves, they put the cooling bag down on the bed and the next minute a little puppy’s head pops out! it was the pup I had seen near south Beach, we got her out of the bag she must have only been about 6 /8 weeks old. We put her on the floor where she proceeded to walk around and sniff at everything. We named her Meena. Maureen and Maj took her to the shower room and gave her a good wash and covered her in Flea powder she was then given a distemper injection she was too young for the Rabies injection.
The problem we had was that no animals were allowed on the property never mind in our room, so we decided to take it in turns for one of us to stay in the room with her at all times, we put music on so no one could hear her little yelps, we put paper on the floor so she had somewhere to do her business, I have to say I thought that there is no way a beach dog will go on the paper but she proved me wrong. She was such a good pup she made no sound in the night time, its as if she knew she had to be quiet.
We still had a lot of work to do in looking after all the other street dogs, so we decided that Meena would have to come with us on our rounds. We got iced blocks out of the freezer and wrapped them in a towel and put it in the cooler bag, then we put Meena inside the bag closed the top and I carried the cooler bag outside while Maureen distracted the staff. When I was outside the hotel gates I would open the top of the bag and Meenas head would pop out, I would then walk to end of the lane and wait for Maureen to come on the motorbike, we were amazed yet again by how Meena seemed to know not to make a sound while in the bag. Meena went everywhere with us for the next few days, she seemed to love being on the back of the bike she looked so funny with just her head sticking out of the bag.
everyone loved Meena all the locals would pet her when I was out doing my work people would be asking me where my puppy was. Then we got the news we had been hoping for someone wanted to give Meena a home we were so happy for her a happy ending at last after all the sadness we had seen and we had had to deal with, we had at last been given to believe there was hope!!
BUT!! it was not meant to be!! after five fantastic days and nights of having Meena stay with us giving us so much fun, happiness but most of all hope, we started to notice a change in her, she started to hide under the bed and bark at us it was as if she did not know us, we put it down to her just not being used to being off the streets but then she started to bite the blankets and anything she could grab again we thought she was just teething, even when we tried to pick her up she became so distressed, she had not eaten or had any water all day.
Maureen held her as I tried to get fluid into her with a syringe but she got so distressed she was crying as if in pain, we lay her down on her bed hoping she would get some rest as she had been awake for over 12 hrs, but she just could not settle she would just walk around and she would not come near us, its now 02.00hrs on the 31/3/2015 a night I will never forget, we decided to just pick her up and wrap her in a towel and cuddle her all our fears that we had been hiding not wanting to believe them where happening and there was not a thing we could do about it, I sat on the floor just hugging and talking to Meena trying to calm her, when at 02.55 she had two small convulsions and soon passed away in my arms. Maureen tried everything to try and revive her but to no avail.
We where heartbroken after all the sights I had seen, Puppies and dogs dying, starving, run over Injured and left to die. I had coped with it I had kept it together, But with Meena, it was different I was heartbroken. we buried Meena on South Beach next to all the other poor puppy’s we had lost to this nasty disease Distemper, Meena must have already contacted it before Maj had given her the injection.
I went through so many emotions over the next 24hrs not knowing what to do next, I wanted to just give up and go home, we had buried four pups on South Beach up to now Raj, Petra, Adam and now Meena and I know it won’t end there. without the support of Maureen and Maj, I think I would have given up. while we went about with our work the locals would ask where Meena was, it was then I realised Meena had made a difference some of the locals who at one time never gave an interest in what was going on with the beach dogs of Varkala where now taking an interest in what we where tiring to do to help the beach dogs, and where asking how they could help!.
I am so glad I was able to carry on with my work as I helped so many more dogs I just wish there was more I could do
