Kolkata: Two days of desperate hunt could finally reunite some families with their strays, who had run away on Diwali-Kali Puja night, traumatised by the deafening noise, smoke and blinding lights from the incessant bursting of firecrackers. Some strays were found as far as 6km away, where they had run away to seek refuge. But there were still some not-so-lucky humans, who were yet to trace their lost pets.One stray, while running on James Long Sarani in fear of firecrackers, was hit by a bike. After Dola Mukherjee, its human parent, found it about 2km away, she could finally start its treatment. “I take care of and feed six dogs at my home. The firecracker noise was so unbearable that two of them, Chini and Gini, somehow crossed over the gate and ran away. We finally found them in another neighbourhood on Tuesday. When I found them, Chini was still traumatised and I heard a bike hit Gini. Its leg is not fractured but it’s swollen. A vet has started the treatment,” Mukherjee said.Another community dog had travelled some 6 km, from Silpara in Behala to a place near Taratala, ostensibly frightened by the noise on the festival night. “Bhutu could not be found anywhere since Sunday evening. We were busy with household chores and on finding the door open, he ran away, apparently to seek some quiet,” said Parama Majumdar, who adopted the 13-year-old dog. “We launched a search for him in all probable places, like Sakher Bazaar and Behala Chowrasta, but to no avail. One of our neighbours told us on Tuesday morning that he had seen Bhutu near Taratala Metro station. We immediately went there and brought him home.”Similarly, Tomi from Taltala was found on College Street, around 2 km away. Its caregiver, Manisha Saha, said, “I searched for him in all the lanes and bylanes here, including Indian Mirror Street, Doctor Lane, Serpentine Lane, Sakharitolla Lane, Dixon Lane near Sealdah, Hidaram Banerjee Lane and Sashi Bhushan Dey Street in Bowbazar on Monday but could not find him. On Tuesday morning I learnt he was seen near College Square. We went and finally spotted Tomi on Bhawani Dutta Lane off College Street.” Ballygunge Circular Road resident Ahona Sen also got reunited with the stray, Kalu, who vanished from her compound on the festival night. “Kalu has been with me for 12 years. He is arthritic, has cataracts in his eyes, for which he receives medical care. He got so scared by the sound of crackers that he left in fear and lost his way. We miraculously found him after 24 hours after doing the rounds of a 3km radius for him,” she said.But Debamaitri Biswas from Garia are among those who are yet to find their pets. “Two days have gone but I do not know where my dog is. I usually feed him near the railway station but has not seen him since Diwali-Kali Puja. I have alerted my friends in nearby areas, too, but the dog remains untraceable,” she said.
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