Simran, more popularly known as Simmi, is a stray who Narmataa Muthu and her family befriended a while back.
The little brown dog was spotted hiding in some bushes and being rather shy, would only cautiously venture out when she was ravenous and needed food.
“One day we followed her to the bushes and gave her some food, and ever since she’s been with us,” Narmataa says.
Simmi loves her newfound family and shows them every day just how grateful she is for their kindness by showering them with kisses – doggie kisses, that is!
A friendly girl by nature, she’s also a free spirit who loves to explore her surroundings, poking her curious nose into everything and anything. It’s a good thing then that Simmi lives on the grounds of a Hindu temple, where she’s surrounded by trees and birds and has the opportunity to be at one with nature.
From a dog who never knew when her next meal was, Simmi has developed quite a sophisticated palette these days and can be quite picky about her food.
For instance, while she loves most crunchy snacks, no one can persuade her to eat Gardenia bread. Absolutely no one, says Narmataa with a chuckle.
While Simmi doesn’t know typical doggie tricks like “sit”, “stay” and “fetch”, she is smart in other ways.
For instance, when she wants more scratches, Simmi will wear the most pitiful expression while staring into your face until you have no choice but to continue scratching her head. She will also crawl onto your lap so she can enjoy the full effects of the pampering – how smart is that?
She is terrified of the sound firecrackers make and will duck for cover, but she has shown how fearless and loyal she can be in other, more important ways.
“She was barking furiously once and my mum walked up to her, enquiring why she was creating such a ruckus,” Narmataa explains.
“But Simmi wouldn’t stop and kept barking while keeping her eyes peeled on something under the table. When my mum bent down to take a look, she saw a huge python curled up there, so close to my mum’s feet.”
According to Narmataa, Simmi immediately pushed her mum away. She also strategically placed herself between the python and her mother in an effort to protect her.
“Thank God there were a few temple-goers at the time and they managed to catch the python and free it elsewhere,” Narmataa says.
Simmi is also intuitive and if she so much as senses that a person doesn’t like Narmataa’s mother, she will bark her head off until that person leaves.
With Simmi around, Narmataa says she knows her family will also be protected and loved by a once-stray who is grateful for simple acts of kindness.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.