Dogs - The only Friends of Chinnu!

The ring came at 4.50 pm, on 3^rd March 2013, on the toll free number of CHILDLINE – 1098. A three year old girl needs to be made human again as she has only dogs as friends. The heart-rending seen unfolded when our team reached the spot. The child is playing, eating and sleeping with dogs! Little Chinnu’s (Given name) father had deserted the family and had settled with another woman. Her mother goes to work every day leaving the child with her mother who is a mental patient and unable to look after little Chinnu. The rescue of the girl was saddening only to the dogs which lost a friend for eating together and playing together! It is no exaggeration as the child was crying in the same night asking for her dogs and the dogs refrained from eating food on the same day!

We involved the police; the neighbours and the local ward counselor to act in favour of Chinnu. They brought her mother to CHILDLINE center.  We inquired into the matter and found that Chinnu’s father was required to pay maintenance for his wife which was pending for months. The local MLA too promised help for the family. The grandfather of Chinnu was also roped in and after days of networking, the mother was given ample support to stop work and take care of Chinnu. The child who was removed from the custody of the mother was restored to her and Chinnu become a child again and has humans as friends!