Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev or Haryana Hurricane needs no introduction. He is one of the most admired cricketer, who has chartered the course of many a famous Indian victories. But, not everybody knows that besides cricket, Kapil also loves dogs and is always surrounded by a bunch of them at his home in Delhi. D&P recently met Kapil and his wife Romi Dev to know more about his love for canines. Captaining India to win the Prudential World Cup in 1983, Kapil Dev is one of those renowned cricketers whose name in written in golden words in the history of Indian cricket. He is still actively involved with the game. He and his wife Romi handle the family-owned business and together with their daughter Amieya love the company of their pet dogs. Even though Romi remembers having dogs far back as her memory goes, Kapil only discovered his love for canines when Romi brought home two lovely Dobermans. Since then, there has been no looking back and Kapil has become a genuine dog lover. Today, his family consists of his wife Romi, his daughter Amieya and six cute-looking four-legged spoilt kids. D&P recently visited their home and Romi settled down with us to share their life with these furry angels. Excerpts.
Our first dogs…
After marriage, we did not keep dogs for 7-8 years as Kapil was hesitant. But, I could’nt keep away from them for long and literally forced Kapil and brought home two Dobermans named Don and Pachino. It was then that he discovered his love for dogs and he has now become an avid dog lover.
Life with Don and Pachino…
Don and Pachino were amazing and wanted love and affection all the time. Infact, people used to call them lap dogs. But, they were extremely possessive and aggressive with other dogs and did not allow us to keep other dogs. Don was gentle and caring but Pachino was a little brat. They were totally pampered and used to sleep on our bed. Kapil was so attached to them that whenever he went out to a party, he used to get food packed for them, which they simply loved.
Their crazy antics…
We once had a parrot who could mimic and he soon started barking. Don and Pachino would run all over the house, looking for the dog. The parrot even used to mimic Kapil and call Don and Pachino and they would run around looking for him as Kapil was their sweetheart! Our daughter and pets… Our family is animal-oriented and when Amieya came into our life, I was a little scared but Kapil was confident that the Dobermans will not harm her in any way. And, he proved right. They both stopped stepping on our beds but Don used to sleep near her cot but the moment she cried, he used to run away but Pachino would bark and bring either me or a help to her. Amieya literally learnt to walk with their help. They always supported her and never knocked her down.
How Don died…
Don was getting old and he must be around 13-14 years old when one day, I returned from work to find him lying motionless. Since he was getting deaf, I first thought that he might not have heard me coming and so did not respond. When I realised that something was wrong, I called up the vet who said that Don had only few hours left. I quickly called Kapil and he dumped everything to be at the side of his friend. He petted Don and called his name 2-3 times and within 10 minutes he died. Somehow, I feel that he was waiting for Kapil and that touched our hearts.
Life after Don and Pachino…
They left us three years ago with a void in our lives. Our lives seemed empty without them, so in just a short span of one month, we brought home as many as six dogs of different breeds.
Our present set of canines…
We have six furry canines and they have all settled into our family and are all aged between two-and-half and three years. The list goes likes this. Don is a Miniature Pinscher who is small but thinks himself to be the boss and is the best watchdog. He only lets Amieya touch him and does not even lets Kapil touch him. Dope is a Cocker Spaniel who always looks doped with dreamy eyes. We named him Dope because first time we saw him, he looked as if there is no tomorrow. Then, we have a Poodle named Puzzle who is always puzzled. Tomyum is a Shih Tzu who we got from Bangkok and is very naughty and our Shar-Pei has got a funny face and so Kapil named him Kaddu. We also got our Bulldog from Bangkok and Amieya named him Jaadu after she saw the movie Koi Mil Gaya. Kapil thinks that he is the fastest skipper in the family.
Life with six canines…
As pups, they used to run around everywhere and we had bits of newspapers lying everywhere. Each one is like a child and have their own typical character and habits. The moment I see the menace, I can tell who is responsible for it. Each one is cute in his own way and we will not trade them for anything. They are very happy and comfortable at home and get irritated when taken to our office. Whenever we are at home, we are surrounded by all six kids.
Any unique habit…
Dope has a very unique habit. He needs to have a face-to-face conversation with us atleast 4-5 times a week. For this, he will seat himself in our front and we have to talk to him and he responds back. Amieya and her friend carry on this conversation for hours on end.
How Kapil spends time with them…
Whenever Kapil is home, he takes out six doggy biscuits and give one to each of them. You can find these biscuits all over my house: in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc. so that he can pick them up wherever he passes by.
What they love about us…
They love our constant hugging and kissing.
What we love about them…
We love their loyalty and anything you do to them, they are always waiting for you.
On food and exercise…
We have a set routine for them and have assigned a person to take care of their daily morning, afternoon and evening walks. They are given one home-made meal and another meal of dog food. They specially love dog biscuits.
Tip for readers…
Don’t keep a dog unless you are sure. Love your dog as they are very sensitive and know when they are neglected. They crave for love and need a lot of physical and mental exercise. Keep interacting with them and love them.