Amazing Dogs Protected Human Baby
3 Street Dogs. An abandoned new born baby girl
Kolkata 23rd & 24th May 1996
Photograph by Tapan Mukherjee, courtesy Aajkaal, a Bengali daily (Dated 25th May 1996)
Photograph above: Three street dogs protecting a new-born baby abandoned in Kolkata on the evening of 23rd May, 1996. Below is an excerpt of a news report filed by Pinaki Mujumdar on the 25th May, 1996 edition of a Bengali daily, named ‘Aajkaal’ which carried the above hear-rendering photograph by Tapan Mukherjee.
This story was carried on the front page of this newspaper and did end up demonstrating the responsible ‘humane’ action of these three street dogs towards a human baby.
This is one of the best examples of sensitive journalism that was accompanied by sharp news sense.
A bright new born baby girl by the side of the dustbin. Sitting around her are three street mongrels. The same unchanging picture throughout the night. This unbelievable and inconceivable incident is not a scene from a screenplay. Nor is it the background to a story causing a sensation throughout the world. It is real-as unalloyedly real as light and air, life and death.This incident stretched at Hartokibagan Lane under Burtolla Police Station from the night of 23rd May, 1996 to 24th May, 1996 morning. Not just that, the three dogs followed like responsible guardians when some people of the locality rescued the new born baby girl and took her to the Burtolla Police Station. They had, unnoticed by all arrived at the door of the Officer-in-charge at Burtolla Police Station I.K Hossain as people were busy watching the baby, who had been put on the officer’s table, move her hands and feet. This scene did not elude the eyes of the policemen and the curious people present at the police station.
This report states that it was only around 2 pm on 24th May, 1996 , when the baby was put in a car to be taken to a home for foundlings did these three street dogs walk back to their old neighbourhood, walking slowly…
(Courtesy: Savage Humans and Stray Dogs, a book by Hiranmay Karlekar, Sage Publications 2008)
Source: http://jaagruti.org/2010/05/15/3-street-dogs-an-abandoned-new-born-baby-girl-kolkata-23rd-24th-may-1996/
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
This is such a heartwarming story. Just like human beings, animals have feelings and emotions. There are also good animals and bad animals. In this story, these three dogs know the baby is vulnerable, so they decided to protect her.
They did not attack the baby but they make sure no one hurts her. Animals are not less superior than us. We have to recognise that they have feelings and emotions too. We have to treat them with love and care.
Love from animals is unconditional, they don’t expect anything in return. They are more genuine and sincere than human beings in some sense. If we have a pet at home, make sure it is treated like a family member.
Wonderful news ………a bright new born baby girl is rescued by 3 strayed dogs and even took the new born baby to the Burtolla Police Station. Its amazing indeed, has proof that dogs have this instinctual behaviour to protect human within their pack. It’s common for dogs to become more alert or even protective . They’re adaptable creatures that bond with their human counterparts well. They are called “man’s best friend,” after all.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
How incredible to see the dogs protecting the baby. A dog does have natural protection to their child but this time we see the dog extend their care, love to a human being. I think the dogs don’t really separate humans or animals but are through their feeling and able to sense the fear and insecure from a baby and the dogs could sense this just like they’re own newborn.
This is a simple picture but paints a thousand words. Animals do have feelings just like us and what we see here is how they even protect a baby. Don’t harm animals. Respect them and if can help them.
Touching story ,well as there is a saying that dogs have more senses ,feeling as human.That is very true, The abandoned new born baby who is so fortunate to have met the 3 street dogs.The 3 stray dogs protecting the baby from where they found till someone took the baby to the police station and to the welfare home.
As Rinpoche always taught us to be kind,caring and compassion to all sentient beings.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article. I think animals have more sense than human. Even the dogs are kinder and to protect a new-born baby that was left out on the streets. The human who left the baby there is really inhuman. That is not the right way to get rid of the baby. We, as humans really got to re-think what is happening in the society now. Why are humans behaving so cold towards another human?
With folded palms,
Vivian
This is just so touching. It truly shows that animals too have feelings and they would over look what is on the outside. They know that the baby is young and needs protection, hence they are there for him/her.
Upon reading this story, I believe many of us would feel ashamed. Why is it that animals are able to love and care to this extend, but as humans we are not able to.
Dogs are sensitive. In my experience, dogs are quite kind to children. I don’t know why, but I always see how gentle the dogs are to the kids usually.
In this case, the 3 dogs showed their nature of taking care baby, no matter their own baby or any being’s babies. Therefore I would say even dogs have the loving and kind nature, and this matched with what Lord Buddha said: every sentient beings has the Buddha nature within. But how about human? We have the good nature too, but because of the selfishness, the fear, egos and etc, we forget the Buddha nature within, we ‘lose’ it by ourselves.
The dogs showed to us even without a brilliant brain, without education, without anything that human has, they still can show their kindness. Kindness is just a nature of all sentient beings. We have to develop more and more, and eventually we able to eliminate the bad ones. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing such a wonderful post!
What happen to the new born baby ?Why their parent so cruelty and leave baby on the street ? Even dogs also can show its love and care to protect this baby .
Reading this article made the best part of my day! I don’t think humans have fully comprehended the intelligence (IQ, EQ) of animals. Did the three dogs only followed their instincts to be so protective of the baby? This article shows the potential of animals… i’m sorry to say but in this case, the human action is extremely embarrassing and degrading to the human kind.
I wish to share this facebook page of a group of youth in kechara. This facebook page was inspired by Rinpoche and managed by 4 youths. Do check it out and support the cause. https://www.facebook.com/AnimalBefriendersCoalition
This proves once again that animals are more humane than most humans. It is a shame that humans are not even able to show proper affection to their own child and dogs end up becoming more caring and taking care of the child.
wow this is amazing! dogs are very loyal companions, i love them. it is so fortunate for this baby girl to have these dogs protect her in her time of need. these dogs are indeed incredible.
[…] tsemtulku.com […]
[…] tsemtulku.com Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInEmailStumbleUponDiggRedditPrintGoogle +1TumblrPinterestLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. Posted in: Children, Crime, Death, Journalism, Psychology, Relationships, Social Media, Society, Women | Tagged: Baby, Children, Crime, Dog, Infant, Kolkata, Relationships, Society, Street Dogs […]
It is pretty unbelievable but this is fact witness as reported in the news. What strikes me the most is that these 3 dogs understood the newborn was vulnerable and needed help. Since they cannot do anything to help the baby they stand guard of her. Although human and dog are different species it doesn’t matter to the dogs. This is being compassionate without being selective. Kindness is inherently in all of us.
For as far as i could know, dogs r very caring and loyalty. They play their roles very well, even better than humans. How can people be so cold blooded, it’s a life they r throwing away. They hv no idea how much karma they hv created.
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche, I’m very pleased to see that dogs r ‘proven’ to be better than humans.
Love,
beatrix.
Wow..that’s amazing. Dogs have yet again shown their great love and compassion towards people, and even new born babies! I find that just amazing.
What wonderful dogs. I wish them a good rebirth close to the dharma. So they may benefit many others, just as they have already benefited this baby. Thank you for sharing Rinpoche.
This is sad that why the baby ‘s parent want to abandoned her, even did not give her the chance of living but just thrown her at the dustbin, yet the saviour of the baby is animals, three street dog protect her whole night..shame of the parents …
Its amazing to see how these 3 street dogs protect the baby. Dogs are very intelligent and these 3 dogs is full of compassion. How touching
These dogs are so humane, it is their instinct to protect the helpless. They have seeds of compassion just like humans. How touching!
The 3 dogs had shown great compassion to the unprotected baby on the street. How kind of these 3 mongrels. The stray mongrels are in fact need protections and food as they live without shelter day and night, and only eat with whatever they have found outside. Let us show more care and compassion towards the animals and do not kill them for food.
Dogs truly are man best friend. this shows that dog can be more humane than human. although the dogs are in animal form and do not have the human intelligent, but they have one thing that we as Homosapien lacks, loyalty and care. i seen and read many stories of how dogs saves the lives of adult and child, and they guard and protect them closely. yet we human do not even come close of having such quality. But reading this, i believe it also the karmic connection that the baby and the 3 dogs have in their past life, that they protected the baby just like they are protecting their own puppy.
Animals can show restraint in the face of a human child. The dogs are mongrels living on the streets, and are probably hungry despite that they did not harm the child?
Are we so ‘human’ as to not harm animals when we ourselves are hungry. If people still think animals are just made for us to use, kill and eat think again. Some animals are even much more benevolent, loyal than us human beings. They act more human and humane than us.
How the world going on now? After know a little bit Dharma, we will feel that the world now need Dharma knowledge urgently to prevent more cruelness happen. We truthfully hope that we able to flourish Rinpoche teaching to let more peoples around us to receive Dharma knowledge hence to prevent peoples do more stupid things.
The story tells our love and compassion should beyond human and human, and extend to all sentient beings, including animals. Our love always given to people we know, we like.
Animals cannot talk or write, but they do have feeling, they can feel pain, or express love by action as well. Since animals can have they care expressed in this way, human who claim they are more intelligent should actually do the same and beyond, by well treat and do not consume animals as food.
And, ironically, those who help you always those you hardly know, for example those who help you while your car is broken along a road side is always stranger we hardly know.
一只狗都比我们更有爱心它只是动物而已，而我们人类就越来越残暴，我们的人性仿佛开始慢慢的消失，就联一只动物都不如。这是值得人类深思的一个问题，动物也如此有爱心的确保初生婴孩不受任何的伤害，父母为何如此的狠心把自己的亲骨肉抛弃呢？？做人最基本的慈悲心与爱心都没有。。。。。
It was amazing to witness how stray dogs could display such strong compassion towards other sentient beings, where by the baby’s own mother is so heartless ,that she could abandon her own child.
Or could it be that the dogs are animation of protectors for the defenseless child.
It is in deed shameful that the mother of the baby do not cherish the precious human life she was given ,perhaps through her past karma she was not given a chance to understand dharma. It is indeed fortunate that the child is alive and I hope he would realize this when he grows up and given an opportunity to study and practice dharma.
Human vs dogs. Who is more humane? These three dogs showed human what is care, compassion and responsibility. How can any human being abandoned a helpless, new born child out in the open? It’s so sad that human did this to their own kind.
Why not give her up for adoption? Or give them to people who wants baby but can’t? It is really sad that places like India and China have to go trough such actions because they are girls. And those dogs are really unbelievable! Dogs are faithful and loving companions and it’s true.
Thank you to the journalists and editor who had a heart to publish this touching story and made it front page. We need more sensitive writers like them. _/\_
Amazing story of unconditional love that trespasses everything, race, religion and being! If dogs/animals can have so much sense and kindness you sometimes wonder why humans can’t. This is a clear example that animals do have feelings and can care, even sometimes better then humans. So with in mind… why do we as human, with a sane conscious mind, choose to abuse and eat animals? The notion of that God put them her for our sustenance is an age old excuse for those who choose to not let go of taste and the arrogant human ego. In being so called “superior” we should instead always protect the weak and less capable… that is humane, that is why we are humans… must we be reminded by animals?
3 street mongrels strayed-dogs were purportedly found protecting an abandoned new-borned baby girl at Kolkata, Bengal on 23rd and 24th May 1996. Its truly unbelievable and inhuman; evenworst than the wildest of the wild animals. These 3 strayed mongrels are so much better and humane by their natural actions in acting like guardians. They even turn up at the police station to stand guard at the door when the baby was brought there as witnessed by the police and curious by-standers. There are some animals who have more compassion and senses than such particular person, who has the heart to leave a new-borned baby girl beside a dustbin to the pleasure of the dogs. Its really hard even to imagine!!!
Even dogs can show the way to love other beings (in this case, a baby). What happened to the human mankind nowadays. I am referring to the incident in Penang most recently. A lady was in wain and nobody bothered (!!!)
狗只不过是只动物，而它们也有人性的存在，那么人类呢？这是值得人类深思的一个问题，动物也如此有爱心的确保把初生婴孩不受任何的伤害，身为父母的为何可以如此的狠心把亲身骨肉抛弃呢？？
人类是世界上最残忍的动物！做人最基本的慈悲心我们都没有的话，哪里还可以谈得上爱心呢？！因果报应是生生不息的，要对自己的所做所为附上责任。
Amazing of the three responsible “HUMAN” who safe the baby girl. Are this three little fellow a human?? Obviously they are only stray dogs goodness sick….. Yeap, this is what happen to our universe. Sad….
爱与关怀不应该之存在于人与人之间，万物皆有灵。
野狗也会关怀别的生命，可是为什么身为人类的我们忍心把孩子丢下呢？很多父母弃婴是为了逃避责任，可是这3只狗狗虽然跟这婴儿没有血缘关系，却一直跟着把婴儿送进警局的大伙儿，确保这婴儿到安全的地方。这真的令我们感到惭愧。
愿这小孩长大了以后也记得这些狗狗的照顾，然后给予他人相同的爱与关怀。
Wow amazing story! These dogs deserve medals for being so protective over a baby that is not even their kind! It is a miracle for the baby to survive the whole night with just the dogs guarding over the baby! Very often we see news of abandoned babies flashed across our local dailies, most likely by unmarried mothers. Eventhough I cannot understand how a mother could do that, I am sure it is not easy for the mother to do so, as the guilt will haunt her for the rest of her life. I do believe that Buddhism and religious guidance are important to instil good values in our young. We will also take responsibility for our actions and understand the consequences of not doing so.
I have read of many stories about dolphins saving humans from drowning or sharks are fairly common. In near drownings, dolphins push humans to the surface. During shark attacks, dolphins protect victims by surrounding them. Also stories of dog saves puppy from drowning, a protective farm dog celebrated as a hero after spending the night cradling an abandoned newborn baby, etc.
Compassion is an inherent quality of humanity – and probably of many other species. It is just a matter of whether one wishes to activate this quality. So it is not surprising to read of all these accounts.
fully agree with you there on the many examples of other species who have helped human beings without being ‘taught’ to be compassionate. Ironically, human beings are being taught instead to be selfish in order to ‘survive’.
Human beings seem to be the ones with least natural compassionate instinct as we are taught from young that we have to be better than others and that it is okay to step on others on our way to success and as ‘survival of the fittest’. We need to rediscover the innate compassion in our buddha nature which is inherent in all beings, which is why we need to re-learn new habits as Rinpoche says.
Yes, dog is the human’s most loyal friend but in this case, the loyalty was a bit different. The new-born baby didn’t / couldn’t feed or play with the dogs in order to get their loyalty and friendship. Very strange incident, perhaps both the baby and dogs had karmic connection. I do not know if these 3 dogs gave the same “protection” to other baby or beings, if so then they must be born to be guardians. Anyway they are very kind and responsible dogs and their qualities are better than a lot of human beings.
Thank you for sharing
This is really a very amazing story for me.
Dogs are more inclined towards carnivorous than vegetarian diets, yet these three mongrels protected this little baby girl perfectly like guardian angels. They acted like human too in the whole event.
I wish very much that this little baby will grow up to be a great person and that these three dogs can reborn in better places with the great deeds that they have done in this life.
Amazing dogs with hearts of compassion that even many of us human cannot compare with. How fortunate the baby was! He must have good affinities with these dogs! May these dogs be free of sufferings of the animal realm.
After reading the story, the first thing I thought was a jungle boy named Tarzan. He was adapted and raised by the ape. No matter a human or animal, they all have love inside their hearts. Those three dogs acted like the street baby’s mother to protect the baby. It’s a good example of love expression. This child must be special..
This dogs proves that dog are not just an “animal” but they have connection with other beings too, like us human. Dogs has always been a good loyal friend, companion, and even motivators. Some breed of dogs are trained to guide the blind, and even assisting children with special needs. They understands and is full of compassion. I salute to these three dogs for protecting this helpless baby on the street.
This article really warms my heart especially when in the newspaper just a few days ago, a new born baby was found squashed into a school bag and thrown out like garbage!
I have always been terribly passionate about dogs, and there is a saying that goes “the more i know man, the more i love dogs!”. These amazing street dogs are a lot lot more compassionate and humane than man himself. And we have the arrogance to call ourselves the most highly evolved and intelligent species of the mammal world!
Human without humanity. Dog with care and compassion. In this case, who is the ones more “human”? As generations progress, humanity seems to regress. So sad!
Dear Sofi,
Yes so sad… who is/are ‘human’ here? The dogs that protect the baby or the people who threw her at dump site?
Of all the sentient beings in the 6 realms of existence, human realm supposedly the only one that provides us the opportunity and the potential to attain Buddhahood… yet these dogs showed they are the ones with Buddha-potential… shame shame…
Dogs are like human also.There also need love & cares fr us. If u know how to communicate with them, there are just like family members to us.
This is precisely why dogs or any other animals are not food. They are no difference from human beings, in fact they are known with their good qualities of being loyal and caring.
This is Amazing and sad at the same time! The Amazing thing is the 3 dogs are so humane!! They are showing human on compassion and responsible!! The sad thing is it is very shameful that human did this to their own kind!!! What world is this??
Thank you for the beautiful story Rinpoche.
Hi Helena,
I completely agree with you. Not only are humans abandoning their own kind, in this case, it is mother abandoning her own flesh and blood! I cannot imagine a connection closer than mother and child yet this act of abandonment forces me to think the dominance of selfishness in our mind stream is so strong that we have the ability to coldly sever one of human race’s most sacred bond.
Whatever problems the mother of this child could have been facing, there are better options besides throwing a helpless new born in a dump site. This news should prompt us to really think before acting as our every action has consequences that directly impacts another being. Furthermore, by the law of karma, our every act also directly influences the consequences we have to bear in the future.
There are already many well documented events of animals rescuing and protecting people. This clearly illustrate the existence of certain ‘bonding’ between humans and animals. Buddhists have definate explanation which involve karmic connection and the existence of Buddha nature in all sentient beings, including dogs. This case shows clearly that if we all have a karmic connection with animals and if animals too have Buddha nature, then it does not make sense why we abuse animals, does it?
Dogs are the most loyal companions. Humans pale in comparison to dogs. No matter how much you scream at them, they will still sit by your side and all ready to be on your good books again. No matter how long they are kept alone in your home, every time you return, they’ll be so happy to greet you.
Imagine if you did the same to humans. There’ll be so much friction to the relationship and if there’s no compromise, you can all it quits. It all sounds so familiar.
I guess that’s why the classic saying, A dog is a man’s best friend!
真的是让人反省的故事。这真的看得出，连一只只是我们所谓的野狗也都能如此的有爱心，我们身为人类的，有思想和智慧，是不是更应该为自己所做的事负责人的？没有血缘的狗可以不分昼夜的守护着这这小宝贝，直到这小孩儿被送往安全的地方。这“短暂”的忠心及付出，不见得我们人类可以如此无条件的有如此的动作。要学会忠心，忠心对身边的朋友，家人，伙伴，上司等。谢谢仁波切的教诲。