Lallu (2007–2021)

I still remember the day I first held you. You were the size of a coffee mug, but managed to fill our hearts to the brim. Those first months when we fed you using a baby nursing bottle and watching you do what puppies do, made us ecstatic. We didn’t realize how fast you went from yapping to barking, from nursing bottles to bones, from having to be taken care of to wanting to protect us fiercely.

Even naming you was a challenge and you ended up with two. Funa named you “Toffee” and I named you “Lallu”. Everyone had a choice on what to call you. For Ama you were Toffee normally and Lallu when angry.

You gave a massive scare when you fell off from the second story straight to the floor when you were just 4 months old. You came back to us with a fear of heights and a renewed love for barking at anything that moved within our compound. You were the most unfriendly dog till an imaginary border you had built. Once that threshold was crossed no one could say no to your fluffy fur.

You created memories not just for us but for all the kids in our age group, my little cousins who are grown ups now. You even managed to create a space in the hearts of the strictest adults in the family. You were the king of your domain. I remember when we took you to Kathmandu and you were forlorn for the whole dashian, but were full of energy as soon as we reached Hetauda.

You were the one who got to hear all our secrets and worries, got all the belly rubs and scratches behind your ears. You had the most innocent eyes any time we were seated for food and always got away with a scrap or two. No matter how bad a day we might have, you were ready tail wagging the moment we were home and all our troubles were wagged away. Anytime we were feeling down, you knew somehow and just came and lied down next to us. That always made things better.

Giving you a bath was one of the toughest tasks, with all the biting and running away. It was worth it, just to see you shrink when wet. I even lost a tooth trying to catch you and falling down, I don;t regret that for a moment.

We miss you My friend, with all our heart and soul. I hope you are happy wherever you are and getting all the belly rubs you could wish for.