A dog thrown off a building by two Indian medical students who videod their sick prank has made a miraculous recovery and found a loving new home.
Bhadra was thought to have died in the cruel stunt in Chennai, southern India, which made headlines earlier this year after her torturers posted footage online.
But it has now emerged that the plucky animal survived – despite broken bones – and was still wagging her tail despite writhing in pain when she was found.
Bhadra was thrown over the wall of a three storey building by medical students who shamelessly filmed their cruel prank and posted it online. It caused outrage across India
The young dog was thought to have died but was eventually found by welfare workers near the bushes where she landed, suffering broken bones but still wagging her tail despite the pain
It took two months for her injuries to heal. But during that time she won the heart of Karthik Dhandapani, a Blue Cross animal welfare volunteer who fostered her.
He loved her so much that he managed to persuade his mother – who never liked dogs – to let him adopt her and give her a ‘forever home’.
She’s made such a good recovery that she loves to spend her time chasing away birds on the terrace of her new adopted home.
Bhadra had to wear a cast while she recovered – the injuries to her hind leg took months to heal
According to her rescuers, the dog displayed willpower and a jolly nature despite her ordeal
Mr Dhandapani said: ‘She runs so fast that I cannot stop comparing her with the legendary runner Usain Bolt.
‘She is incredibly fast for her size and physical capacity. I admire her for her willpower and jolly nature and I’m glad she is going to be my side forever.’
The horrifying video of the eight-month old dog being thrown off the balcony of a three-storey building went viral on social media in July and led to outrage across India.
An investigation was launched and Bhadra was miraculously found alive near the bushes, just few steps away from the building, badly injured.
Two men in their early 20s were arrested and later released on bail after paying a £2,000 fine. A court case is pending.
Bhadra, who was given the name of a Hindu goddess in honour of her courage, was found by animal rights activists Sharavn Krishnan and Antony Rubin.
Animal lover Karthik Dhandapani, 35, began to foster her. He always wanted a dog, but his mother Kanagavalli, 70. was resistant to him keeping pets long-term so therescue workers continued to hunt for a permanent home.
The dog was fostered by Karthik Dhandapani, a Blue Cross animal welfare volunteer, while she was recovering from her injuries, but his 70-year-old mother did not want him to keep her
The two formed such a close bond that Mr Dhandapani could not bear the thought of losing her
There was a flood of applications for adoption from across India and abroad. However, none of the applicants seemed convincing.
Mr Rubin said: ‘Bhadra had got a lot of media attention after her rescue and finding the right home for her was no easy job. There was always a fear of her being used for fame and we wanted her to be near us because the case is still pending at court.’
But Mr Dhandapani eventually persuaded his mother to let him keep Bhadra after all.
‘Even the thought of giving her away was painful. I had always wanted to have a dog but mother was not comfortable with the idea,’ he explained.
‘I would bring pups and dogs for foster care and give them away after two or three weeks. But with Bhadra, there was an attachment from the beginning. She instantly won my mother’s heart with her soft and loving nature.’
Eventually Bhadra won the heart of Mr Dhandapani’s mother, Kanagavalli (right) too
The dog is now happy in her ‘forever home’ and has healed so well she loves to chase birds
When his mother accepted Bhadra with open arms, Mr Dhandapani, who works in the sales department of a media group, said: ‘It was no less than a miracle for me. I jumped out of excitement. Bhadra was going to stay with us forever. Nothing could have made me happier than this.’
According to him, Bhadra is a happy dog now – she gets to gets to eat her favourite curd rice every day along with dog food and spends time either resting in her cage or chasing away birds.
The New Indian Express website reports that in addition to the fine, the medical students from Madha Medical College involved in the prank – Gautham Sudarshan and Ashish Paul – face animal abuse charges at court.
Bhadra is happy in her new home, and her favourite pastime is chasing away birds