Pattu, the Doberman rescued in Chennai, finds forever home 7,200 km away in Prague
Doberman Pattu's story splices episodes of cruelty and kindness. The kindness the canine received has been so out of the way — as you would soon find out, 7,200 kilometres out of the way — that the effects of cruelty he suffered have been wiped out, in entirety.
An animal lover in Chromepet rescued Pattu, his bones sticking out due to subcutaneous fat dwindling on account of malnourishment. The problem was deeper than meals having been persistently denied: Pattu was paralysed, and lying down helplessly.
The rescuer brought Pattu's plight to the attention of Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board (TNAWB), and before long, Pattu came under the care of Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary (BMAD).
'He came to us on November 7, 2024,' says Neeraja Venkateswaran, Head of Operations at BMAD.
What followed was intense effort — as Neeraja puts it, 'rigorous physiotherapy' with which 'the team nursed him back to health'.
'He was with us till March 2025; by then, he had started walking normally again. Between March and June, he was at ROA shelter run by Dinesh Baba in Koovathur on East Coast Road for temporary boarding until his departure to Czech Republic,' says Neeraja.
Czech Republic it was: all the way to Prague from Chennai, and finding his forever home 7,200 kilometres away — that was the twist in the tail.
After Pattu's rehabilitation was complete, BMAD posted about him for adoption.
'We were approached by many families for adoption and this one really stood out.'
Pattu had caught the eye of Pavlina Buskova from Czech Republic .
'She has had Doberman dogs all her life, had an admiration for the breed,' explains Neeraja.
Pattu was flown from Chennai to Vienna in Austria with a stop at Dubai. From Vienna in Austria to Prague in Czech Republic, the adopters themselves travelled with him on the road.
Neeraja says: 'We employed the services of 'Pawfly', a pet relocation service. This is our fifth international adoption with them. The adopters chose to take up the expenses.'
Recently, a buoyant Pattu figured in a video Palvina shared with BMAD.
Pattu must be just three years old, not a day over that, and he has already witnessed the duality of human nature with its capability for cruelty as well as compassion.
Another international adoption
Prior to finding Pattu a home abroad, BMAD had driven another adoption of similar proportion.
A Labrador in a deplorable condition had been brought to BMAD .
Neeraja recounts the events: 'Momo (a name the Labrador was given at BMAD) came to us on October 4, with swollen paws and she was too weak to walk and had severe tick infestation. Chitra, a regular rescuer and feeder, brought the Lab here. Despite coming from a humble background, Priya and her husband Kannan, an auto driver, have helped many rescues around the city.'
When she heard about Momo, Dr. Shobana Balakrishnan, a long-time donor of BMAD from the United Kingdom, had no doubt in her mind that this dog had to enrich her hearth. And it does enrich Dr. Shobana's hearth at Ashgrove Gardens in Edinburgh.
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