BETTY-BOO, NINJA & TAZ...

Written Decenber 2013..


And as I sit with my Taz..
I know he is going..
To a kingdom..
Where he will run amuck with his other four legged family and friends..
His beautiful mum Betty-Boo..
His poet dad Ninja..
His neighbour Bozo..
And many others..
He met on his walks through paths and plains..
Where he chased leaves and fire flies..

He was born 13 years ago..

The naughty little ones...

To my beautiful golden retriever  and my Boxer Ninja, about whom I'm going to tell you more..

They fell in love ..

Betty-Boo & Ninja...

This fellow was the first of the litter of 7..
He came out shiny and totally chubby..
Panther black was his coat..
And a big A on his chest..

Taz.Tigi.Warsi.

As if to say..
You belong to me "Mr.Warsi"..

 I loved another..
A beautiful fawn chubby girl..
That I played with everyday..
Because Taz was always meant to go away..

In the mean time I pranced with this motley litter that nibbled on my toes..

I could have kept them all..

Taz was never the one I wanted to keep..
He would be going to another home like the rest of the pups ..

But one day, Warsi looked at him,and decided he was the one that's to stay ..
I held my chubby little fawn and just wept ..

Heartbreak is an old friend, my little chubby, who I gave away..

I let them all go one day..
In a span of two hours..
4 fawns , 2 blacks..
They were all gone ..

That little Black mound to the extreme right, my love "Taz"...

To homes of ones who will cherish them to their dying day ..

Taz stayed..
And pranced around the house..
I was pretty upset..
With this pup who sat like an elephant in a lodge ..
He walked around..
Played with his mum and dad..

And just went around, behaving like the puppy , that we just had to have ..

He had the naughtiest little black shiny eyes..
That would light up every time,the door bell rang..
And he would bark with all his might ..
And wag his tail like mad..
So confusing this little Sagittarius puppy running around my hand..

And slowly, but absolutely very surely ..
He just got inside my  heart..
His bark..
His wag..
His black eyes that looked at me with that spark..
He followed Betty-Boo and me ..
Everywhere we went ..

Father and son time..

While his dad Ninja sat at the window ..
Where many a sunshine time he spent ..

I loved these three and they loved me..
A more magical love I have not had the privilege to have felt ..
To be included in this pack...
Was the best thing in the world ..

We ran early mornings..
In and around my building ..
While Ninja walked and ran amuck like boxers do..
And Betty-Boo hid in bushes, and wagged her tail so hard..
I never knew if she was hiding or playing with Taz ..
Taz my little panther pup..
Ran with me with all his might ..

The three of us have run at Juhu beach ..
And swum in waters salty and clean..
Have picked up fights with other packs..
Got bitten ..
Scarred..
And also scared to smithereens ..
But nothing ever put down their spirit ..
Even if I shouted at them in fright..

I was their princess..
Their girl..
And they looked after me..

No one and I mean no one was even allowed on my floor..

They just sat , in front of my door..

They snarled ..
And pricked up their ears at the tiniest sounds at night ..
The kids and me all lay snuggled asleep ..
Happy in the knowledge..
That even if I was alone..
I was in the most awesome company a girl could keep ..

Life went on for really long this way..

And then one day after 9 years,in 2005
My Betty-Boo went away..
It was December ..
And I just knew ..
She had very little time ..
And that she knew too..

One bright morning..
I heard her bark..
It was as if to say..
Come say bye..
I'm going away..
She had not been well..
I ran up with Zeke in my arms..
And broke down ..
As she lay her head in my lap and slowly very slowly ..
Those brown eyes,that I so loved ..
The light in them went out..

She was my first baby.
Warsi gave her to me..

I had never had a puppy ever of my own ..
And she was my little Maddy ..
A glutton to the bone..
She had the sweetest disposition..
I have ever had known..
She came to me a Vegetarian
Till she met a lamb bone ..
Sprightly,beautiful and completely hungry
That was my Betty-Boo to me ..
Paris Brest was the most favorite of her vices..
Then there were chicken legs and tomatoes cold as ice ..

I put her ashes into the sea..
Where we swam and ran ..
And played so freely ..

Now I was left with the boys..
Who had a history of fights that were not so nice ..

After a big fight, they never understood , why I had to keep them separated from me..

Fighting to be the head of the gang..
To be Alpha male ...
They fought tooth and nail
These stupid male canines ...

But after Betty-Boo left ...
They both sat together and spent a lot of time ..
Ironing their differences out, on a window with sunshine ..
A little quieter and a little mature they seemed to be my 9yr old boxer Ninja and my 5 yr old Taz puppy ..

This continued for quite a while
And it frankly looked fine ..
They went everywhere together..
To eat, to bathe, to sleep in stormy weather..
Specially when crackers burst..
I saw Ninja always sitting calm and Taz going berserk..

I never knew what was going on in Ninjas mind ..
He was a poet ..

Ninja always thought of himself as a tiny pup...

That much I know..
Because he sat at the window ..
With that far away look in his eyes ..
And was never bothered with all the noise.
He looked like he was, writing of wonderful things..
About love and other beings..

How could anyone not love Ninja..

But when he wagged his tail, it was definitely not like the rest of the doggy guys..
Ninja was different..
And loving in every way..
He picked up fights , with anyone who dared to look my way ..
But he was a lover , not a fighter..
He never fought a single fight he started, but he fought, for the ones he loved..
He kissed you , like he has never seen you in years..
But when he farted, it could singe the hair in your ears.
That was my Ninja, the puppy that never grew beyond the mental age of two...

Thank you Amit.Ashar for this picture..

Till a December in 2007
Ninja fell very ill..
They said like Betty-boo
He had a large heart too ..
I was in pain to see him deteriorate ..
Not walking and shaking his adorable bum and wagging his tail any more..
He just lay down on his mat near my bed room door ..
Taz jumped around him..
And licked his face ..
And spoke to him in his own little doggy way ..
But nothing worked..

One December morning, I heard Ninja, whimper outside my door..
Zeke and Zene were fast asleep...
I went to sit with him ..
And whispered in his ear..
"No no Migi don't go , don't go "..
But my little Ninja was already walking away..
Wagging his tail and scampering on a beach, where Betty-boo was joining him anyway...
He looked lovely as he slept , no pain no worries anymore...

And then Taz, my little 7 year old was left alone..
He took up residence in my kitchen, under the table to to precise ..
And got fed by Zene..with all her rice...

It was really funny, if you can picture this scene..
So I call the kids for dinner..
And Taz proceeds to take his place under the table, my black puppy, totally camouflaged and unseen..
He was my cute vacuum cleaner, just like his mummy and Daddy..

Zene and Zeke became his friends..
And he just followed us everywhere we went..
In the park, down for a walk and even the loo..
He was just always everywhere to say helloooo..
He became one of the kids..

He was Zeke and Zene's doggy brother..
And that's what they told their friends..
And I was happy because, he really was my baby..

The kitchen was his favorite place..
And while I cooked, he sat and looked at my face..

His favorite pass time, wpold be sitting with Zene's crocs..

And wagged his tail in approval of the aromas, that wafted in the air..
Then of course, he wanted his share ...

I could never take him for a walk on my own..
Because he would pick up fights ..
With any other animal that came towards our way..

But to run with him was a complete delight..
Strong , big and muscular..with his tail wagging freely..
Ears flopping in abandon, and a tongue hanging out free..
Ha ha ha my partner in flight
My little Tazzy..

While I trained to climb Mt.Kilimanjaro..
He ran with me every day..
And while I ran up and down the stairs , he stood near my door and crooned away ..

He looked very frightening..
To those who never did know, he has the soul of a kid..
So I kept up the pretense, about how ferocious and ill tempered he is..

Zene with her doggy brother..

He used to grrr sometimes, at the ones he knew were frightened of him..
I think he took great pleasure in feeling like a king..

He and me would have conversations of the voooooow...voooow kind..
That had a certain tune when he was happy ..
Or then a complain in his voice ..

He has sat with me while I fed him chocolate and also while I cried..
Been with me at my happiest and also trying times..

How do I let go of a part of my soul...
While he breathes slowly..
His muscles suddenly hanging on his bones..
He cannot sit , he cannot stand..
Cannot wag his tail..
He just looks at me , twitches his ears and cocks his eyes up and down, and acts so brave ..

This Taz , my pup from the ones I will always love..
Is going away..
My black mad Taz ..
I will love you forever and a Day..

You have given me your all and everything ..
And loved me the most in your life..
I want God to be kind to you ..
And help you be fine..
I will miss your beautiful, innocent, hungry, bounding, funny presence in my life..
But I'm letting you go ..

Is that not what you are supposed to do , to the ones connected to your soul..
They may but only physically go away...

But in my heart you will always stay..
My little panther pup..
The one that was not given away..
You are mine..
At least for this life time...

And I will be there for you, till the universe takes your breath away ...

I'm going to stop now..
Because I actually can go on ..
About my three puppies, whose pet names were Tigi ( Taz )  , Migi ( Ninja ) and Bing (Betty -boo)..
And all the fun , they sent my way..
It is true, if you ever want to feel real love..
Love an animal..
And see what it does to you ..

Yes I will cry, when my Taz goes, because he will take with him selfless love of the highest kind..
Will cry for all the love I lost ..
All the love that went away..

But  thank-you dear God , for sending these three my way ..

This is my love story..
Of the most beautiful kind..
Where it was just love exchanged with nothing else in mind..

To all who have lost a pet ..
I know it's not just that..
It's much much more..
It's a piece of your soul ...

But the thought of them running wild..
Is the most beautiful scene to keep for all time..


Dedicated to Tigi (Taz) , Migi (Ninja)  and Bing (Betty-Boo)..

P.S.I wrote this 2 years ago, when my Taz was really ill, but he recovered and I had two more lovely years with him, this is a dedication, to all three, who are together now and the love I found through them.