It was a typical day for young man Anand Raman. He was on his way to visit his sister under the sweltering weather in Dubai.
On his way, he saw an emaciated stray dog taking shelter under a car while picking up some scraps for food.
“His fur was matted and his legs weren’t quite right,” Raman told The Dodo in an interview. He added that the stray dog ran towards him “with a curious but excited disposition, wagging his tail excitedly.” Raman petted the dog gently and he knew what he needed to do.
Raman called his sister and brother-in-law if they would both agree to have the dog home, and when he received all the “yes” he needed, he immediately carried the dog to his car. “He immediately fell asleep on my shoulder,” he said.
The dog was taken to the vet first, where Raman learned the dog had rickets, a condition that causes bowed legs and stunted growth, thus the result of chronic malnutrition. But the vet assured Raman it was treatable.
When they got home, Raman bathed the dog, because it already smelled bad and was really dirty after spending most of his time on the streets.
“I was surprised to find out that his fur was actually pure white after all the dirt and grime came off his body,” Raman shared, which is also the reason why he decided to name the dog “Snowy.”
Just like in some stray dogs that is new to a home, Snowy was not sure what to do in his new home.
“He wasn’t sure where to go and what to explore, so he’d just sit in a corner,” Raman said. “He was constantly terrified that I was going to leave him back on the streets.” When Raman tried to walk Snowy out, the dog would try to pull him back to where they live, because he might be scared his new human would leave him back out on the streets. “This happened for a while, until he realized we were not going to let him go anywhere.”
It took two months before Snowy fully embraced his new home. He loves sleeping on bed with his human, and loves to spend time with him.
“He showers us with love, and we reciprocate the same with him,” Raman said.
Photos by Arnand Raman
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