The miniature pinscher was found in a comatose state on the side of the road in 2016.
Unable to bear leaving him there, a Good Samaritan brought him to a veterinarian, which is how Dr Nesa Wathi Subramaniam of Claws Veterinary Clinic in Klang met the dog that would change her life.
“His body was full of ants, and he was dehydrated. So I put him on an IV drip,” Nesa Wathi tells FMT, adding that she suspected he had been involved in an accident.
Although the poor pup regained consciousness after a couple of days, she discovered following an x-ray that he had multiple pelvic fractures.
She, however, made the difficult decision not to perform surgery on him as his kidney and liver were not in good shape, and he was also not eating well.
To her surprise, a miracle happened – the little dog began to get better all on his own.
“When he was first brought in, he couldn’t walk. But somehow he began to heal and began walking on three legs,” Nesa Wathi, 38, says proudly.
She shares that a client eventually decided to adopt him but returned him after a few months “because he was too naughty”.
So Nesa Wathi and her husband, Suria Ganesh, who have always liked miniature pinschers, decided to keep him. The couple named their new pet Bhairava.
Today, they estimate Bhairava is about nine or 10 years old, and he has settled well into his furever home.
“He is a good ‘alarm system’ for us. When he hears a stranger’s car outside, he starts barking,” Suria tells FMT. The 43-year-old is a dog trainer who runs Pet Park Groomers, also in Klang, where he provides pet care and boarding services.
Although he is petite, he dominates the other dogs in the couple’s family – which isn’t surprising, Nesa Wathi says, since miniature pinschers are known as the “king of small breeds” that are “small but mighty”.
Suria adds that Bhairava can often be observed urinating – a sign of “territory marking” among dogs. “He is the boss,” he laughs with a sigh.
When FMT paid a visit to the tiny pup recently, he certainly displayed a larger-than-life personality.
Despite his size, he commanded the attention of the room as he ran about the place, sniffing the new humans and later settling in for some cuddles and pats.
When it comes to his likes and dislikes, Bhairava enjoys eating boiled chicken but has a strange aversion to doggie biscuits.
And, despite his dominating personality, he is afraid of thunder and lightning!
Whenever Nesa Wathi looks at Bhairava these days, she is reminded of how she initially thought he wouldn’t make it.
“But he somehow survived. And I definitely never thought that he would end up with us,” she reflects contentedly.
“Sometimes, treating a pet is about allowing its body to respond to the medicine given. If you give it time, the body will respond miraculously.
“So these days, when my clients bring in severe cases, I tell them not to lose hope, because you never know how they will recover.”
Learn more about Claws Veterinary Clinic via Facebook and Instagram.
Claws Veterinary Clinic
19, Jalan Ramin 1/KS7,
Bandar Botanic,
41200 Klang, Selangor
Business hours: 10am-6pm (daily except Wednesdays, Sundays and public holidays)
10am-1pm (Sundays)
Contact: 012-545 4395
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.