Families mourn death of pet dog, feed entire village

Mysuru: In a heart-touching gesture, 12 families of Thondalu village in Hunsur taluk of Mysuru district organised the 11th-day post-death ritual for a dog which was close to them for the last four years. They served lunch for the entire village in memory of the deceased dog on Wednesday.
Thondalu is located 12km from Hunsur town. According to the villagers, local residents Javaraiah and Sakamma were looking after the pet dog Subba alias Maralingi. The dog was close to all the 12 families staying in their lane. On May 21, the four-year-old pregnant dog died after sustaining injuries.
On Wednesday, all the residents of the lane offered prayers, and placed new clothes and flowers on its grave. They also offered milk and ghee according to the rituals followed locally. They also served lunch for over 80 families. According to K Jayaram, a local, the dog was close to all the 12 families in the lane. “It not only followed them wherever they went, but also used to alert them about the presence of strangers. It was part of our life. So, we did the 11th-day ritual and served lunch for all the villagers. Around 80 families joined us for the mourning,” he added.