Crazy is Dead, Long Live Crazy | Ranbir Singh

Crazy had been gifted to my daughter by the wife of an Army Officer in 2010 when she went to Ranikhet (Uttrakhand) to do some interior designing work at her cottage. She was a seven-day old female pup, a cross breed between a Boxer father and Cocker Spaniel mother. One could guess from her face that she was a Boxer and her hair made Crazy resemble a Cocker Spaniel. My daughter got her tail cut off for reasons best known to her.

Be that as it may, she loved Crazy more than her parents. To save her from the trouble of pregnancy, my daughter had the procedure done upon her. Despite getting her full care and love, Crazy got infected as many as four times by the tick fever. She also got Staph locus infection quite frequently. But that and our frequent advice did not prevent my daughter from taking her to bed with her at night. Crazy was so dear to her. Crazy also insisted on sleeping on her bed whenever she accompanied my daughter to Karnal or whenever, I stayed with her at Delhi.

Crazy was very friendly and always welcomed the Guests rather than bark at them which is typical of dogs. She would insist on sharing the sofa with them. Crazy even insisted on having snacks with them. She would also insist on sharing food with my daughter whenever we had breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Another peculiar craze of Crazy was to spend time in car. She would demand to sit in it even when it was stationed. She would keep on barking till her demand was accepted. Whenever my daughter took the car out for shopping or for travelling, Crazy would occupy the front seat as her right. When my daughter brought a new pup, who was perhaps a cross of German Sheppard and Golden Retriever, Crazy treated him like her own child. She not only loved him but also protected him. She would not allow us touch him. She continued to be his protector after it grew into a huge brown dog.

Unfortunately, she was detected with triple health issues in 2020. Her staphylococcus infection became acute. Her thyroid became very low. Her heart was also enlarged. Despite the best efforts of the Vet, her condition became so unbearable that one would neither eat, nor drink water. She would also cry in agony due to pain. She had to be administered glucose drips for survival. Ultimately on the advice of the Vet, despite great reluctance, she was put to sleep. Her last rites were performed in the manner of a family member. Crazy died on 11th January, 2021 but she has left us crazy. We are struggling to live without her. Maybe she scarified her life to save us the pain. from which my wife, daughter and I had been suffering. We have decided that we shall never adopt a pet in future but continue to look after in the best possible manner the stray dogs by feeding them.

(Author: Prof. Ranbir Singh (Retd.), Former Dean Social Sciences & Academic Affairs, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (Haryana) )