My sons, who were always fond of dogs, once spotted a pure white puppy at a nearby house. The family was willing to give the pup away. Excited, they came running home and convinced us to adopt him. Within a day or so, the pup became part of our family. He stayed with us for around ten to eleven years.

He was an adorable dog, but extremely naughty. His arrival, however, infuriated Brownie, our loyal stray friend. Normally a soft and gentle dog, Brownie would growl at the new pup and even try to attack him at times. But my sons managed to keep Brownie in check.

In the tradition of giving dogs European names, my sons decided to name the new pup Bruno.

Bruno seemed to have some breed lineage, though he wasn’t a properly bred dog. Like many street dogs in India, he was very smart. He had a knack for knowing when we were taking him to the vet, and he’d immediately try to jump out of the vehicle.

Bruno had his own playful way of interacting with my sons and was generally friendly with everyone in the neighborhood. The only exception was a man who wasn’t a neighbor but a worker who passed through regularly. This man was a drunkard, and the enmity between him and Bruno was mutual and lasted until the end of Bruno's life.

There are quite a few funny stories about him.

We never put Bruno on a leash when he was in the house, but he was clever enough to slip through the narrow opening in the gate. Once, when my wife was heading out for shopping, Bruno silently followed her. As she boarded the bus, he jumped in as well! To the cries of fellow passengers, my wife had to get off in embarrassment to take him home.

On another occasion, when I was heading to work, Bruno kept following me. Each time I turned around to scold him, he’d turn back. But the moment I resumed walking, he’d start following me again. This went on for almost ten minutes until I had to call my sons to physically carry him back into the house.

There was also an incident when my elder brother was visiting. As he left in an auto, Bruno, without our knowledge, followed the vehicle and got lost. Luckily, a vendor spotted him a mile away and informed us, allowing my sons to retrieve him.

Bruno was very fond of ice cream, and my wife always got him one whenever the ice cream vendor passed by. Even now, the vendor still asks about Bruno.

Sadly, Bruno developed a tumor in his liver, suffered numerous fits, and eventually had to be put to sleep.

Brownie outlived Bruno by a few years. With no competition left, he returned to being the sole protector of our family. Once, when our eldest grandson was visiting, he asked for permission to feed Brownie. We didn’t realize until later that he had fed Brownie an entire loaf of bread. Brownie was so full, he couldn’t even stand, let alone walk!

Unfortunately, as Brownie aged, he started to exhibit signs of madness and began attacking people. Despite this, he remained loyal to us. For a long time, he managed to evade capture by the corporation officials, but eventually, he was caught and passed away.

Continued in 162. Dogged Faith - Part 4