The idea for Prateekshankar Dixit’s first ever illustration came from a less-than-pleasant experience. Being completely unaware of a five-month-old paraplegic pup’s dietery requirements, he overfed his foster animal, resulting in a bad bout of diarrhea. “I would clean it up but [when I’d turn around] she had pooped again” he remembers adding how it was actually a spark of creativity. “That was the first ever comic I made.” Bengaluru-based Dixit, now 31 years old, met Juno through the co-founder of the Paws of India (PoI) Shushant Ajinkar. The pup had a badly damaged spinal cord after being run over. The care centre she was recuperating at couldn’t help her condition and it was decided to rehabilitate her on the streets. Then Ajinkar asked Dixit to foster the puppy for a few months. They’ve been together for over two years now.
The moment Dixit and his dog, now named Juno, met, she marked her territory by letting loose her bladder. “She marked me as her human and in that moment I decided to adopt her,” says Dixit, a user experience designer who was soon inspired to document his every day life with his pet.
Caring for a special needs pet hasn’t been easy. But Dixit wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s now used to putting her in diapers and cleaning after her. Juno’s arrival in his life has made Dixit more regimented and organised. “I have become more patient and I guess more responsible, having the responsibility of another life,” Dixit chuckles. “I now understand when my parents used to say, ‘You’ll know when you become a parent’.” Recently, Dixit has taken his illustrations a notch further, creating art works on commission. Plus,
he’s started spreading awareness about adopting Indian dogs. “People have this notion that street dogs do not make a good pets but that’s not true,” he explains adding that his comics are a way for people to get an idea about adopting a pet. The money he earns from this venture is all donated to the people who are working towards animal rescue“It is my way of giving back to (the) community,” he smiles.
Follow Prateekshankar Dixit and Juno on Instagram at @psdixit09