A sad droopy whimper was all ‘Google’, a pit bull, could let out when he was abandoned in December 2018.
Fast forward to today.
Now renamed Logan, this ‘pawesome’ pupper has been featured on F1’s official gaming page on Instagram.
But how was Logan’s talent discovered?
One day, Logan’s father, Abhishek Roy decided to have some fun. He called his friends over, and they found Logan’s love for speed racing.
Roy made Logan sit on the chair and the pit bull very obediently chewed on the treats hidden in the steering wheel while staring at the screen. The video went viral in no time and was shared by many Instagram pages, raking over thousand views.
“One page got 30,000 views, another 80,000 and another 20,000. This happened in November. When we had gotten over it, we noticed the Formula 1 page had published it. This was such a big opportunity. This publicity is of no use in my personal or professional work. I thought this could send out a message to people out there to adopt,” Roy said.
“Because I didn’t buy my dogs, I have a different connection with them. It’s like I’ve involved them in my life and it’s not just a transaction.”Abhishek Roy
Logan’s Journey
Recalling the rescue efforts, Neha Panchamiya, Founder of the Pune-based animal rehabilitation centre RESQ said that the adorable pit bull was found in a scrawny state, covered with scratches and bruises. His wounds were so deep that maggots had eaten up half his paw.
“They were at specific spots which happen when a dog is confined in a cage and they constantly try to stick their paws out for a long time, putting pressure. He probably just lived in a cage all his life.”Neha Panchamiya, Founder, RESQ
Like Logan, RESQ provides shelter to over 13,000 injured, sick or abandoned animals every year. Out of these, at least 400 are abandoned pet dogs that have absolutely no chance of survival on the streets.
Back to Logan’s story. After a lot of care, Logan was nursed back to health and was ready to be welcomed into a loving home. That is when Roy walked into his life.
Roy still remembers how 6-year-old Logan’s skin was just hanging onto his bones. But he ‘vibed with him’ so much that he knew their connection was meant to be.
But there was one tiny hiccup. Roy was also a father to Micco, a one-year-old pit bull, who was always high on energy. “His parents were raised by people who were into underground dog fighting. So he instinctively knew how to fight a dog and it took very little for him to get triggered and attack. On the other hand, Logan was innately a very good boy. The kind of dog who would never disrespect any human,” he said.
RESQ wanted to be certain that this was going to be a happy home for Logan. So, they held three sessions for Micco and Logan to bond. Initially, Micco bugged Logan and then the two got into a pretty nasty fight, during which Roy was compelled to intervene. Eventually, Roy felt confident to take Logan home.
The initial days were tough for Logan who would sit at the door, frightened because of the unfamiliar environment he found himself in.
“Micco would want to come close and play as he is always very enthusiastic. But Logan would just growl and sometimes they'd get into a scuffle. And Logan being the gentler soul would always fall victim to the fight. I couldn't leave the house for over two months,” said Roy.
And then the two became best buddies. Micco would share his toys and if any other dog would bully Micco, Logan would step in. Roy remembers the time when Logan fell into a pond and within seconds, Micco too jumped in to rescue him.
Logan just being his ‘cool’ self.
(Photo Courtesy: Abhishek Roy)
Roy’s appeal to every dog lover is to be kind to dogs, no matter what state they are in.
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