What has four legs, a tail, and doubles up as both Velcro and a CCTV camera? Why Rex, of course, the German Shepherd Dog from CK Block. “Rex is a Velcro dog, he’ll stick to you,” smiles Aarini Bannerji. “And he’s a great guard dog too, as good as a 24x7 CCTV camera.”
Before Rex came along, the family had two other dogs, but both passed away when Aarini was about 10. “We were so distraught that we got Rex in three days flat,” recalls the twelfth grader.
In the beginning, Aarini says Rex was more of a T-Rex, tearing through everything like a tiny dinosaur. “Shoes, curtains, mattresses…. Rex means king in Latin, and he literally behaved like he was the king of the house,” she chuckles.
The dog has his quirks. He’s scared of Aarini’s dad, knows how to manipulate her mom, and pays no heed to Aarini herself. “I go to my grandma’s house for a month and come back to get no reaction from him. My dad gets more of a welcome after a six-hour shift at work!” she mocks anger. “Rex also refuses to eat unless one of my parents is with him, so he ends up having lunch at 5pm after they return from work!”
One day, when Rex was three and at the peak of his energy, he suddenly couldn’t climb the stairs. “His hind legs gave way. We went from pillar to post, but no vet could help. There was even a time when we feared we might have to put him down,” Aarini shudders. Finally he was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease and prescribed six months of strict bed rest. Gradually, he recovered, and now he’s back to his lively self.
Rex’s heart is as big as his bark. He’s fiercely protective of children and other animals. “Once, he barked and barked till my mom went to check on him in the terrace. There she found Rex trying to save a pigeon from being attacked by crows,” Aarini says.
The Bannerjis used to be a pro-dog and anti-cat family but Aarini takes credit for making them open up to felines. “Initially I would be scolded for petting cats as they can spread rabies, diphtheria…and now my parents buy cat food for Cuddles,” she smiles.
Cuddles, the cat, comes and goes as she pleases. “It’s taken me six years to gain her trust, but it’s rewarding. Rex and Cuddles still hate each other though,” laughs the Aarini, who dreams of becoming an animal rescuer and conservationist.
