MP’s 2 biers, 1 farewell: A dog’s last walk with his master | Bhopal News
BHOPAL: For 15 years, Duggu waited at the door whenever Pradeep Jain returned home. On Sunday, he waited one last time.The 15-year-old pet dog died shortly after his 67-year-old owner, Pradeep Jain, was taken out for his final journey, leaving grieving family members and mourners in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district struggling to hold back tears.Jain, a resident of Civil Lines, died during treatment at AIIMS Bhopal after battling illness for eight days. His body was brought home on Sunday evening, where relatives gathered to pay their last respects. Among them was Duggu, the family’s ageing pet, who refused to move away from his owner’s body.Fearing he would become distressed during the funeral preparations, family members shifted him to another room. But Duggu remained restless through the night, whining continuously as if searching for his master.When the funeral procession finally began, Duggu was let out. He quietly joined the mourners and walked behind the bier for a short distance before collapsing. Despite attempts to help him, the dog died on the spot.What followed left even seasoned mourners emotional. The family prepared a separate bier for Duggu, and both owner and companion began their final journeys together from the same home.Pradeep Jain was cremated at Ganj Mokshdham according to Hindu rituals, while Duggu was buried with dignity within the cremation ground premises, in the presence of family members.“He was never just a pet. He was part of our family,” said deceased’s younger brother. “My brother had raised Duggu since he was a puppy. The moment my brother returned home, Duggu would run to greet him. If my brother fell ill, Duggu would stop eating and become unwell too. Even in death, he refused to leave his side.”Family members recalled that Duggu had spent nearly every waking moment with Jain over the past 15 years. On Sunday, they said, the bond that had defined both their lives remained unbroken until the very end.
