Very tough days for us three

(iTunes: hachiko - the dog).

The last couple weeks have been very trying. First of all Mother went into heat. She's been bitten badly by one dog and is carrying one hind leg. The other hind leg is the one that was hit in January, and she's not put any weight on it since then. She's limpiing around and being chased by dogs. I've been chasing them away but how much can I. Often she wants to go to them. But then she has to fend them off since she can barely stand herself. All of them are so aggressive whereas she is so docile.

And then there is her 8 month son, Raja, even more docile and friendly. Unable to fight. He's caught in the midst of all this getting bitten all over. Now he's unable to put one front foot down either due to a dog bite (or being hit on the leg). One hind leg is already fractured and fused incorrectly so he can't put his weight on it.

I absolutely have to get her spayed as soon as possible. She spends most of her time lying under some car so that she is not disturbed. Raja has begun travelling around the colony to meet other dogs. All the others are very territorial and vicious and bite him. Yet, he keeps on trying to befriend them.  There was heavy rain for some days on top of all this. I just didn't have the courage to go the foresty park in all this. I went the other day. The two little pups (brown and white) are still alive although the dear brown one hardly eats and is smaller than the other, who is quite brave and aggressive.
The other two larger pups were ectstatic to see me and jumped all over me, wiping muddy paws all over my pants and shirt (both white).
The black female who had given birth to four pups... one black one was fine but the dark grey one was whining in pain with each breath. No one knew what had happened. I could have saved it's life. I had to just keep walking by. The mother was looking anxiously. The next morning that pup was lying dead there, the mother licking its tail wondering what had happened. (One other black one had been taken by a lady some days back). Don't know about the third. My biggest fear about going there is that the little pups follow me back. Then the other two larger pups follow me towards the 2 little ones, and their mother charges at them and bites them. One of the larger ones was nipping the white one too, I tried to pick up the white one, but he was terrified.

On top of all that is flat-neighbour in-fighting. They leave the gates open and then complain that the dogs come in because of me. They refuse to close the gates. There is no way I could live without Mother and Raja. What else is there? The only love and humanity i see in this world is in animals , particularly these 2. Humans are too obsessed with wealth and show and fame. There is no place for love where there is greed. And where there is no love, and where the pain of others is not felt as one's own, one will never see God. One cannot see You, O Mother with eyes tainted with desires.

And yet, Lord, I cannot thank you enough for all you have given me, which I assure you is not only the greatest gift you could give anyone, but you may have never given any others. Is it only I who sees you in all, and who sees Mother Earth or the Mother of all everywhere. Is it only I who see Her love everywhere.

This has all been very painful and yet amazingly beautiful. I would never trade it for something else. All the pain was required to melt me, or rather what was not me. What is sad is that the pain and suffering was not mine, it was another's. Mother and Raja suffered so much to bring me to see You in all things. And to see myself continuing in them.