Not many are aware of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's love for pets and how her personal care saved the lives of six puppies.
Nehru's favourite pets were Golden Retrievers. The love was passed down to his daughter Indira Gandhi and then to Rajiv Gandhi's family.
The family's dog, Toffee had six puppies. The pups developed a bad case of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis, but through the care of Sonia Gandhi and her daughter, Priyanka, all six puppies were saved, says a new book 'Very Important Pets - VIPs.'
The near-death experience of all the puppies created a strong bond with the family - none of the puppies was given away. They were named Sona, Patchy, Peppy, Reshma, Lassie and Snoopy, says the book compiled by Priya Kapoor and Nandita Jaishankar.
When Toffee developed very severe arthritis, she was put to sleep. Toffee had been inseparable from Gandhi and was given a very caring and emotional farewell from her, followed by prayers and offerings of holy water from the sacred river Ganges, they say.