KOCHI: Happiness returned to Dr Anand Gopinath’s house in Palarivattom on Tuesday. Anand and his family are now celebrating the joy of having found their beloved dog, Mango, who went missing three weeks ago. The man, who brought back the dog, was instantly given a reward of Rs 1 lakh.

Mango went missing on June 12, around 24 days back, from their house at Pipeline Junction in Palarivattom. Ever since then, the house has been gloomy. Anand’s wife and children were not even ready to eat their meals properly. Following which, he published an advertisement promising Rs 1 lakh for anyone who finds Mango. The advertisement was posted in every nook and corner of the city, till two days back.

Anand had travelled kilometres on bicycle in search of his dog. Many people contacted and said that they had found Mango. However, the results were disappointing.

Anand had bought two Kombai puppies from Coimbatore for Rs 22,500, two months ago. Mango was one among them.

It was while the family had lost all hopes that they received a call from Nijeesh from Palarivattom. On reaching there, a skinny Mango ran towards Anand and jumped on to him.

The difficulties Mango endured for 24 days had brought a lot of changes in him. Mango, who used to bark and jump at the sight of others, is now afraid of everyone.

Nijeesh refuses, Anand insists

Initially, Nijeesh was not ready to accept the reward of Rs 1 lakh. However, he took the money on Anand’s insistence.

Kombai dogs

The Kombai dog is a breed of sighthound native to Tamil Nadu. Traditionally kept for hunting, they also have a reputation for making excellent guard dogs. Kombai dogs are also known as Indian Boarhund and Indian Boar dog. They are lean, long, muscular and powerful. They can be ferocious when aroused by strangers.