It’s tough to say whether Dora loves Dolon more or Dolon loves Dora. Dolon Chakraborty’s children certainly accuse their mom of loving Dora the Shih Tzu more than them. So let’s weigh the odds….
The first time Dora was brought home, Dolon was sitting on the living room floor. “From the door, the puppy walked straight across the hall and chose my lap to snuggle into,” says Dolon. “It was love at first sight.”
From then on Dora’s world revolves around her mom. If Dolon’s cooking, Dora will be seated underneath, next to the gas cylinder. If Dolon’s sleeping, Dora will be snoozing on top of her pillow. If Dolon dresses up, the Shih Tzu comes up to her expectantly. “If I say ‘no’, she withdraws to a corner sadly but if I say “Dora jabe,” she’ll wag her tail and jump till I pick up the car keys,” she says.
Dolon’s children Atrayee and Aryan have been named with the letter ‘A’, after her husband Arindam. “But Dora I named with the initial of my name,” smiles Dolon proudly.
The dog was once hospitalised with pancreatitis and Dolon couldn’t stay home out of tension. “Dora cannot sleep without me so I’d stay in the hospital all day and when it was time for her to nap, I’d cradle her in the car till she dozed,” says Dolon.
The Chakrabortys went to Ranthambore National Park once, where everyone but the soul sisters saw the tiger. “They said dogs weren’t allowed in the reserve, so I stayed back with Dora in the hotel,” she says, sans any regret.
But their most unforgettable experience was on a train. “We were shifting to Chennai last year and for Dora’s comfort, taking the Coromandel Express. Suddenly I felt a jerk and fell off the berth. Dora sensed something amiss as she had started running amok,” says Dolon. She alerted her family but they dismissed it.
“I immediately took Dora in my arms and jumped off the train, that had stopped. “I saw railway tracks flying and the compartments upturned! There had been an accident.”
The family then endured a harrowing journey to Balasore, on foot, Dora in arms. “We had to jump over bodies and crying relatives. We were forced to leave behind some luggage but made sure to bring Dora’s food so her meal time could be maintained,” Dolon says.
That was the last time the family took trains. “Flights are now allowing small pets to travel in the cabin so Dora flies with us,” smiles Dolon. “The rule says these pets may not be taken out of their cages but she’s so cute that the air hostesses cannot resist her. They lift her, pet her, and even do video calls to parents to show them the cutest passenger on the flight!”
