Depressed? Upset? Lonely? Looking for a friend? Well, if I were a counselor, I would have suggested just the right thing. Pity I am not. Anyway, I still think I should share this with you readers out there.

I have walked this Earth for 23 years now, and there have not been many periods in my life when I have not had a very faithful, loving, caring and selfless companion by my side. To the world, it is just a dog. But to me, it has always been a friend, confidante, guide and philosopher.

From the time I stepped into a sane, and so-called intellectual world, I remember being surrounded by animal companions. Sometimes, my own pets, and sometimes those of others. And at other times, just a couple of strays. Nevertheless, I have never lived without an animal in my life.

I am sure most of you would have read about animals being great stress-busters, and true friends. But how many of you out there have really given this a thought? Believe it or not, there is a great deal of truth in it. An animal can make a very big difference in our lives.

Our family has seen a whole history of dogs and cats, in almost all shapes, sizes and colors. Over a period, we grew so used to having a four-legged companion with us that the family felt almost empty without one.

There was Julie, a lovely terrier whom my grandfather brought home. I was just three years old then. Julie was adorable. She brought with her, a whole new world of small pleasures. It was pure bliss. We were all very fond of her. She was just three months old when tragedy struck. Some construction workers across the street did not approve of her "pissing" habits, and decided to do away with her. One of them dropped a brick on her tiny head and she died on the spot.

Julie's death left us all aghast, disturbed and emotionally bruised. For a couple of days, none of us even smiled. I vividly recollect the gloom that seemed to have enveloped our family after Julie's death.

That was when my father decided to brighten things up a little with Caesar. Caesar came in a small jute bag with papa, who brought him home on our age-old Vespa scooter.

Caesar was the tiniest black ball of fur I had ever seen in my life. He was barely three weeks old, and was just learning to chew. He would chew on just about everything he could lay his paws on, from papa's leather shoes to grandma's papads. But we could never get irritated with him, for he had the most soulful eyes ever.

I got along famously with Caesar. He was my favorite eating companion. More than half of my food went into his tiny stomach. Sometimes I wondered where he got all that digestive capacity! Caesar loved to play ball with me. We grew up together, and he was almost like my little brother. He was very protective. He hated it when papa scolded me. He would growl at papa and bare his tiny teeth menacingly. On one occasion, Caesar even ripped off my cousin's shorts when he tried to bully me.

Soon, we had to move to Bangalore. I wanted Caesar to come with us in the train. I made a fuss, just like a typical 5-year-old. As Indian Railways does not allow dogs in the second class compartment, poor Caesar had to rough it out in the kennel compartment. It was a long journey.

After a strenuous 38-hour journey, we finally reached Bangalore. I was fast asleep when we reached, blissfully unaware of Caesar's plight. My father carried me while my mother and grandfather took care of the luggage and the formalities of getting Caesar out of his temporary abode.

When I woke up the next morning, I did not get my good-morning licks from Caesar, which I had grown so used to. I crawled out of bed and went down the stairs, to find Caesar lying limp on the ground. I started to cry. I bawled my head off, much to everybody's exasperation.

I refused to go to my "new" school that day and insisted I would spend the whole day "nursing" Caesar. I remember pestering the veterinary doctor ceaselessly that day. Three days later, Caesar was fit and fine, and back in his element. As usual, he shared my breakfast with me, after which I left for school.

In a few weeks' time, Caesar was the center of attraction in the neighborhood. All my friends doted on him. He had a huge fan following, and he evidently enjoyed all the attention he got.

Life went on this way, until one day, papa was transferred to Ahmedabad. We were to reside in an apartment (provided by his company) where pets were not allowed. Those few days were perhaps the most difficult ones for all of us. We did not have much choice, but to let someone "adopt" Caesar while we went away. I spent the days crying, huddling with Caesar. He sensed that something was wrong, and quit eating.

The next day, our family friends, who had offered to "keep" Caesar with them, visited us. There were three of them. Mom introduced the lady as Saroja aunty, and her two sons, Mani and Rahul. They were nice people, but I was in no mood to socialize. After all, they were going to snatch my Caesar away from me. Caesar was obviously unhappy at this prospect, and promptly pissed on Mani's pants. That lightened the situation a bit, and we all shared a hearty laugh over it.

A week later, I found myself in Ahmedabad. I hated the place instinctively. I despised the school, the people, the lifestyle, and just about everything. I withdrew into a shell, and became a total loner. Consequently, I fell terribly ill within a few days. Any amount of medication did not help, and my parents were desperate. One day, a doctor injected a double dose of Deriphyllin and I collapsed. My body turned blue and I was half-dead. My parents rushed me to the hospital, and on the way, in that semi-conscious condition, I pleaded with my father to get me my Caesar.

Fortunately, a few hours later, my condition stabilized, and I was discharged from the hospital. But the incident had made a mark on papa's mind. That evening, he made arrangements for us to move out of that apartment, and a week later, we were in a new locality, with a new pet. Silky was the most adorable Lhasa Apso we had ever had. I instantaneously took to her. Now I had a new friend, and life began to look up again. My grades improved, and so did my health.

Everyone in our colony loved Silky. She was naughty, but extremely affectionate. She always insisted on sharing our bed. And she was such a darling that we could just not refuse. Silky changed our life.

A couple of years later, we were put in the same situation again. We had moved back to Bangalore, and we were moving into a much smaller house. We could not afford to keep Silky with us any longer. By this time, I was mature, so I gave in without much fuss. We gave Silky to a relative, who took very good care of her. We visited him once in a month, to check on Silky. Silky never forgot us. She always bounded into my outstretched arms for a warm hug, and showered me with hearty licks all over my face!

Gradually, the frequency of our visits reduced, as we got caught in the web of routine. Each one of us drifted into our own private world, and distanced ourselves from affection. Slowly, we became keyed up, and easily irritated. We were all stressed out. At that juncture, we moved to Coimbatore. This time, history did not repeat itself. It was my father's idea to have a pet. We all knew that we had become dependent on an animal companion, and we surely needed one to relieve us of our everyday stress.

And that's how Snowy came into our lives. We drove down to Bangalore and brought him back with us, all the way to Coimbatore. That was the best journey I had ever experienced. The tiny ball of fur was jumping around in the car, looking out of the window and licking me ecstatically every few seconds. After a few hours, the exhausted puppy fell asleep in my lap and I could not hold back tears of affection as I looked at him lovingly. I hugged him gently and whispered, "I'll never let you go, no matter what."

To this day, Snowy is a part of our lives, brightening up our dull days with an excited wag of his tail and his bright, soulful eyes. I cannot imagine life without Snowy. He is so much a part of our family that he gets top priority in everything. He is one pampered brat! And he is short-tempered too. He has his own way of exhibiting anger. He pisses on the walls when we piss him off!

His pissing habit has earned him the nickname "Piss Master Pinto." We fondly call him Pinto, and he loves it. And I guess this goes without saying - we love him very much.

Snowy is not only affectionate and understanding, but he is a great stress reliever too. And guess what! He is extremely sensitive to my mood swings. He knows when I am angry, and keeps away. If I am in a naughty mood, he gets naughty too, and we have a great time causing a lot of noise pollution, conversing in "doggie language!"

It takes just one drop of tear from my eyes to set Snowy whimpering. He puts his soft paw on my hand and consoles me. You have to see it to believe it. Snowy is the most adorable thing under the sun, and we can never have enough of him! I, for one, know that I have a friend for life. Even when I am rude to him, Snowy never hesitates to come to me, wagging his tail affectionately. And that melts my heart at once. I forget everything else and get down to rolling on the floor with him, playing "doggie-doggie."

Even my best friend might let me down, but Snowy won't. People have expectations from us and we fail to live up to them, their love and admiration for us diminishes. But no matter what I do, Snowy will never stop loving me. And I know his love is pure and unconditional.

All animals love unconditionally. All it takes is a little bit of care from us, and they reciprocate with such intensity, that we cannot help but wonder why human beings have not been blessed to love that way.
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