Traders mourn passing of a street dog

Traders at the College Junction in Manakkala, Pathanamthitta, have been in mourning for the past few days. They lost a key member of their family in a road accident last Thursday — Remani, a street dog that had endeared itself to them over more than four years.

In an amazing display of man-animal bonding, they have now erected posters all across the street condoling her death. According to Aby KP, who runs a book stall by the street, this was natural. People express grief when someone they love has passed away. “Remani deserved this display of affection as she was one among us,” he explained.

The stray dog had been abandoned in the neighborhood by officials of the Erathu Panchayat after its sterilization. She quickly became friendly with everyone. So much so that people used to compete with each other to feed her everyday

“Remani guarded our shops from anti-socials during the nights, though she never harmed anyone. She used to give me company whenever I had to work late hours,” recalled Pradeep Palara, who runs a tyre workshop.

Having witnessed Remani’s final moments, he is yet to recover from the shock of the beloved pet being run over by two vehicles back to back. “I only looked once and instantly turned away. We could not do anything to save her, and so decided to give her a farewell this way,” he said.