We present our Chairperson, Lynn de Souza's first attempt at fiction. A simple story of friendship between three dogs, Moti, Tiger and Rani and their human benefactor, the Pinto girl. Narrated by Moti from his home in heaven, it has moments of happiness and sadness, mixed with gutwrenching episodes that will hopefully act as eyeopeners to animal lovers everywhere.

Illustrated beautifully by Anita Sundareswaran and K Seshadri, and published by Spenta Multimedia, the blurb on the back cover says...

'It is a simple story of an apparently uneventful life - Moti the Mongrel. But every life, no matter how purposeless it appears, has a deep lesson. That if humans would love even the small simple unwanted things without discrimination, the love they would get in return would surprise them with its honesty and abundance.

A lesson from which all of us will immensely benefit, and the world will be a better place, only if we care to learn from it.

A book for children…and the child in every one of us.'

Quoting from Benny Thomas, who presents the book in his foreword:

'Think of this book as a kind of test. Not like the kind in school though, a fun test. It's the story of a dog, from the dog's viewpoint- (or the closest a human could get to it). It's not pretty, it's not particularly flattering - not to dogs, and certainly not to humans. If you find your own mistakes in it, here's hoping it will help you change. If you understand the inner life of dogs a little better, here's hoping it will show, the next time you see a 'gauti kutra'.

If after reading what dogs are really like, you can still find it in your heart to love them - bum-licking, maggots, fleas and all - then maybe you will have a different answer to the question 'Why do people like dogs?'
Not just 'because they like us', but 'because they deserve to be loved.'
If we can understand them, respect them enough not to test their love, and control ourselves enough not to abuse our total control over them, perhaps we can learn to be their true friends, as they are ours.'

All the proceeds will go towards a special "FRIENDS OF MOTI" Program of the GSPCA, to provide free and subsidised medical aid

1. To any bird or animal owned by someone less fortunate than we are. Someone who loves his animal friend deeply but cannot afford to get him a licence, pay for his vaccinations or neutering, treat his wounds and fractures, keep him free of ticks etc

2. To any injured, abandoned or infirm bird or animal picked up by the guardian angels and good samaritans who volunteer for the Goa SPCA - creatures that belong to no one, and therefore to everyone

at the Socrates Oliver Veterinary Hospital, Torda, Salvador-do-Mundo, Bardez, Goa, 403 101 ( phone 91 - 832 - 416180).

Write to friendsofmoti@goaspca.com to participate in this initiative.