Bhadra - The Dog Thrown Off From Rooftop In Chennai Had Earlier Cheated Death Twice!

Cats have the proverbial nine lives, but this dog seems to have got a third lease of life in little more than six months of her existence. On Tuesday night, animal welfare activists, tipped off by cops, rescued the dog nearly two weeks after she was flung off a terrace by two medical students.

BCCL

She has now been named Bhadra, which in Tamil means 'safe' and in Sanskrit, the blessed one, as she has not only survived multiple fractures from that fall, but escaped death twice before. The first time was during the floods last December.

Bhadra was born during the Chennai deluge. "The mother, along with three pups, took shelter in our apartment complex," said a resident of Kundrathur, where she was first seen. "People took pity on them and sheltered and fed them," she said.

BCCL

Around February this year, the pups fell into a ditch and two of them died. But Bhadra survived. She had her second brush with mortality when she was recently attacked by other stray dogs. Wounded, she somehow escaped.

Also Read: Meet Shravan Krishnan - The Man Who Helped The Chennai Dog, Bhadra, Get Justice

BCCL

Two weeks ago, when the two medicos decided to throw a dog down the terrace of a three-storey building "just for fun", fortune smiled on her.

"The way the man flung her might have aided Bhadra's miraculous escape. He picked her by the coat and dropped her straight down, so there was a higher chance that she would land on her feet," said Dr R Jayaprakash, director of clinics

BCCL

Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Tanuvas), who examined Bhadra when she was brought to the hospital on Wednesday.

"Since she is around six months old, her bones are flexible as mineralisation happens only at about one year of age. During growth, the phosphorus and calcium levels in bones are low," he said. Landing on the grass also cushioned the fall.

BCCL

Bhadra, however, has two fractures: on the spine and the right hind leg. Nestled in the arms of animal rights activist Jennifer Jacob, she was quiet, letting out a yelp only when her injured leg was examined.

"She is still in shock but will come out of it quickly as she is young," said Dr Jayaprakash. "The fractures will take three to four weeks to heal."

BCCL

Since the injuries are consistent with such a fall, activists believe that Bhadra is the same puppy seen in the video. The fractures occurred about two weeks ago and the bones have fused to an extent.

Also Read: After Being Arrested, The Men Who Threw A Dog Off The Roof Are Already Out On Bail!

Bhadra will be fostered by Jennifer till she finds a permanent home.

"We have received a lot of calls from people keen on adopting her but we will do a background check before giving her away," said Jennifer.