Anyone on a morning walk around the Digantika stoppage on weekdays would get to feast their eyes on a beautiful Siberian Husky. And walking him would be a cute little girl, Srinika Dasgupta.
“Frozzo is a big dog but he’s well-trained. I have no problems walking him,” smiles Srinika, who walks him to the pick-up point of her school bus every day. “The whole bus waits to see him and some friends even want to get off and pet him but the conductor says it’s not allowed.”
Frozzo is named by Srinika too, after her favourite film Frozen. It made even more sense since Huskies hail from the frozen terrains of Siberia. But the family says it’s a myth that Huskies need to be in air-conditioned environs round the clock.
“On hot afternoons, he stays in the AC but the rest of the time he stays under fans. On rainy days, he sometimes forgoes the fan and sits elsewhere. It all depends on how you bring the dog up,” says Srinika’s mom Sunayana.
Srinika’s father is working in Singapore for the time being and whenever he comes down, Frozzo gets so happy he cannot decide what to do. “He jumps on him and runs around in circles,” laughs the 10-year-old. “And when my dad leaves, Frozzo gets so sad that he refuses to enter the house, preferring to stay in the staircase itself.”
During online classes, Frozzo would regularly make appearances on screen and amuse Srinika’s teachers and classmates alike. “One of my friends who came over overcame her fear of dogs with Frozzo. He was the first dog she ever petted,” she smiles proudly.
Like all Huskies, Frozzo is a champion howler. The howling would elicit queries from concerned neighbours initially, who thought the dog was crying all day. Later they realised this is just the way this breed expresses itself. “In fact, Frozzo has now taught the strays in the lane to howl too and they often howl in unison instead of barking,” Srinika laughs.
Three strays have become such good buddies with Frozzo that they form a ring around him, Srinika and her mother when they go for walks. “They chase away any other dog that come in our path,” the girl smiles.
The dog loves rope toys that Srinika and he play tug-of-war with it. “Frozzo always wins,” she smiles.
If you have a pet you have brought up at home as a family member and which has its eyes only for you, write to us with your contact number at The Telegraph Salt Lake, 6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta 700001 or email to saltlake@abp.in
