Me and my pet: The story of heroic dogs and unwavering love for animals
Telegraph | 9 March 2025
Jammu & Kashmir, 14 years ago: Indian Army soldiers were relaxing in a camp one night when some militants prepared to ambush them. Just when they were about launch attack, three street dogs started barked incessantly and chased away the terrorists, by when the soldiers got alerted and took action.
"Those dogs saved the lives of 14-15 soldiers," says Akhipata Gupta, whose husband was one of them. "The three dogs were heroes and the soldiers took them home." One of the dogs, Potla, now resides with the family in DLF New Town Heights.
Akhipata, her husband, and twin sons are all animal-lovers. She feeds 45 street dogs in the township and has rescued multiple cats, dogs, crows, owls and even - hold-your-breath - a snow leopard.
"This was years ago when my husband was posted in Srinagar. We were part of a convoy travelling from Delhi when it screeched to a halt — a leopard had come under its wheels. I rushed out and saw that the animal hadn’t survived, but I also noticed she was lactating. That meant her cubs had to be nearby," Akhipata recalls.
Sure enough she found two cubs nearby. One didn’t make it, but the other she nursed for four months. "He came to recognise me too and it was with a heavy heart that I handed him over to the forest department later," she says, wondering if he would still recognise her today.
Now settled in New Town, the family lives with their two dogs, Potla and Black-and-White, and two cats, Maytu and Chotu. The animals live in harmony but Ankhipata faces challenges from outsiders.
"Not only do residents misbehave with me for feeding street animals, but even the dog walkers here refuse to walk my ‘desi’ dogs," says the lady who has even had to go feed animals at 4am to avoid pesky passersby.
Potla, who had saved the soldiers, is now docile and it’s Black-and-White (named after the famous Michael Jackson hit) who has taken on the mantle of guard dog. There was a time when Akhipata lived alone with her pets and a man in her building harassed her repeatedly by ringing her doorbell and fleeing. Black-and-White, sensing the intruder, would lunge at the door in defence.
The lady and her son Jeet fight tooth and nail for the animals and even got a driver arrested once for purposely running over puppies. “I have been stalked, received death threats but I’m an army officer’s wife. My husband had fought in the Kargil War, so such minor irritants don’t scare me,” she says bravely.