A
dog owner who referred to his beloved dog as “my first child, friend,
business partner”, gave his pet a befitting burial worthy of a king
following his death ‘after a brief illness’.From the obituary notice, it
was obvious that something unconventional was about to happen. Posted
in many places around Ikeja, it left many in utter bewilderment…The
obituary read: “Transition – With gratitude to God for a life well
spent, we the family of Tracy, Lion. Quincy and Adriano wish to announce
the sorrowful departure of our father, Dr. Papilo Cannan that died on
November 17, 2014, after a brief illness. Aged 15, may his gentle soul
rest in peace.”
Well, nothing really strange in the obituary. Except that the
deceased was – wait for it – a dog!Last Saturday, November 29, Oshifila
Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos State, was agog, as a dead dog, a
male Alsatian, popularly known as Dr. Papilo in its lifetime, was given
a befitting burial by its owner.A day before the burial, a service of
songs was held for the dog at Cannan Hotel, Ikeja.At the burial, there
was plenty to eat and drink, just as guests were thoroughly entertained
by the Nigerian Army Band. A detachment of mobile policemen at the event
also gave the deceased dog a seven-gun salute.Many sympathisers and
guests showered accolades on the dog, paying glowing tributes to the
animal in the condolence register.
Dog-owners, military personnel, police officers, veterinary doctors
and many others thronged the venue of the ceremony, which commenced at
11am that Saturday. Many passers-by abandoned their initial plans and
made a detour to Oshifila Street to witness the unbelievable funeral.The
street and many parts of Ikeja, the capital of Lagos, came to a
standstill for some hours. Many could not believe that it was a dog that
was being buried. But the owner insisted that Papilo was more than a
dog, describing the canine, as a special breed.
Immediately after its death, a condolence register was opened for the
dog in front of Cannan Hotel, where Papilo has served, as a security
guard for 10 yearsSome of the tributes in the condolence register read:
Papilo, you were great, You will remain forever in our memory, We miss
you Papilo, Sleep well, What a brave dog!The owner of the dog, Prince
Keneth Edet Ani, who serves with the Nigerian Army in Ikeja, told the
reporter that his affection for his late dog was unconditional.
Papilo’s remains were interred in a four-feet grave and decorated
with roses. The grave is beside the hotel where the dog served till its
demise.
Ani described the dog, as his business partner, first child and a
friend that travelled with him across the country. He said the dog was
an intelligent soldier and a security expert that fought a good fight
before its departure. He said he could not reward the dog enough for all
it did for him in securing his business and protecting his family for
years.
The man, who has four daughters from his late wife, recalled that the
dog was their only partner when he newly got married 15 years ago. In
all the years that Papilo lived, he said there were only few important
ceremonies that the dog did not attend with him.
According to him, the little way he could reciprocate Papilo’s
unquestionable love for him and his family as well as the dog’s bravery,
especially regarding his business and environment was to give the
animal a befitting burial. He said he could not quantify the money he
spent on Papilo, which he bought at three months, before the dog’s death
at the ripe age of 15.
“My wife and I stayed together for some time without a child.
Suddenly, people started calling us Papa and Mama Papilo. The dog
travelled with me to Jos and Maiduguri. While in Maiduguri, it was
trained and used to hunt bombers. It was a unique dog. In the real
sense, it was my first child. When I lost Papilo, I felt sad the same
way I felt when I lost my wife. The dog was just too close to me,” he
informed.
Ani, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Cannan Hotel, was
neatly dressed in a black suit for the occasion. He commended all the
guests for attending the burial and for commiserating with him on the
demise of his much-loved dog.
The chief mourner, a graduate of Accounting from Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria, said he was happy that his pet died peacefully, after
a brief illness. He prayed to die the same way his dog died, pointing
out that Papilo’s death was not tragic.
Manager of the hotel, Onyeka Obi, who was around when Papilo breathed
its last, told the reporter that the dog was sick and did not eat for
about two weeks. Papilo’s veterinary doctor administered drugs to the
dying dog but all treatment offered proved abortive.
Also praising the dog’s security consciousness, its owner said:
“Papilo confronted armed robbers sometime ago and gave one of them a
serious injury. The robber could not run further, and was later caught
by the police. Everybody knew Papilo in this area. I am missing the dog,
and the other six dogs at the hotel are also missing Papilo because it
was like their father. Here, we treat dogs like human beings. We give
them the best food you could think of.”
Chairman of the occasion and a priest with the Brotherhood of the
Cross and Star Parkson Edjeketa described the dog’s burial as a
celebration of “our brother, Papilo.” He said the event was in line with
God’s will for humans to show love and care to animals that He, God,
had placed in human custody. He praised Ani’s uncommon love for his
departed dog.
The Coordinator, Nigerian Dog Association, Ndubisi Faisal Amuka said
that the name, dog, was not an accident but a deliberate divine
arrangement to show the animal’s relevance to mankind. He explained that
God watches over the front, while the dog watches from behind. He
saluted Ani’s uncommon action of organising such an event for his pet.
He stated that the chief mourner had set a record in Nigeria, urging
other dog owners to take a cue from him.
“Dogs are unique creatures. They are our friends. I am talking of
dogs that are specially bred, not just any dog. I am so happy to be part
of this occasion because it is not easy for anybody to come up with
such an idea. If you can show love to a pet, it shows you can do better
with humans. This organiser has just lifted the benchmark. You will
witness more celebrations of dog’s deaths henceforth,” he assured.
Dr Dotun Ransome-Kuti also at the event, said what Ani did was great.
He joined others to champion the crusade of treating dogs like human
beings. According to him: “I think this is the first time anybody is
doing something of this magnitude. This may be the start of new things
in our society that other people will begin to follow. The best friend
you can ever have is a dog. Dogs shows unconditional love. All it knows
is that you are his friend. If you beat a dog, it would still be your
friend. However, you can get the best from a dog only when you first
show love to the pet.”
Ekwukoma Peter, a dog owner, commended the organiser’s courage,
saying that it was a call to other dog owners to show more love to the
animal. He stated that the event was amazing and remarkable. He promised
to conduct a burial ceremony when his dog passes on. He admitted,
though, that he might be unable to do so on a grand scale like Ani.
Chris Ekpo, who lives the on the same Oshifila Street, said Papilo looked gentle but was quite brave as a security guard.
For Ralph John, Papilo was brave. His words: “I cried like a baby
when the dog died. Since I was born, that was the first dog that I would
ever encounter that would behave like a human being. Immediately Papilo
knows you, it becomes your best friend.”
A minute of silence was observed in honour of the dog.
One of the guests, who identified herself as Mary, said she was too astonished to utter a word.
“I don’t really have anything to say, because I am totally surprised.
That is why they say, wonders shall never end,” she told the reporter.
