Doctors told pregnant mom to get rid of 5 big dogs, but she decided to celebrate her first child with her ‘furry kids’

Dog lovers are not very well understood by non-dog lovers. But if you are a dog lover, nothing sounds stranger or more painful than having to give them away.

Usually, pet lovers have to deal with furtive glances when they go all mushy about their pets. The same thing happened to this dog loving couple.

Sanjana Madappa and Aditya Raheja, from Bangalore, India, are dog lovers and the dogs formed an integral part of their family. The elders in the family were quite concerned when Sanjana got pregnant, and suggested that the dogs should to be given away before the baby arrived. They were concerned about the baby’s safety – well, that is what you would think if you have never had a dog.

“I was told by family, friends and even my doctor to get rid of my dogs, that my baby came first,” Sanjana told Buzzfeed. This was not the advice she was going to follow, as it meant giving up one baby for another.

“I don’t know how people can bring a child into the world, while letting go of another at the same time,” she said.

So, this loving couple decided to do something different to put their future plans into place. They arranged a prenatal photo-shoot to celebrate the happy news of the expectant baby, along with the rest of the family. The family of course included the baby’s furry siblings.

Aditya, an estate agent got married to Sanjana, who works at an animal welfare organization called CUPA, just two years ago; that explained how they ended up raising lots of dogs.

Sanjana Madappa and Aditya Raheja  have been happily married for the last two years, along with their extended family.

Sanjana is a true animal lover and has thus taken up work at an animal welfare organization. That explains how they ended up raising a lot of dogs.

When the family, doctor and friends learnt of the pregnancy, they strongly advised them to part with their canines.

“I was told by family, friends and even my doctor to get rid of my dogs, that my baby came first.”

The couple did not pay heed to their advice. In fact they organized a prenatal photoshoot with the family.

 

The pre-natal photo-shoot included their furry kids as they were definitely a part of their family.

 

“I don’t know how people can bring a child into the world, while letting go of another at the same time.”

Their son Ayan was born a week after the photoshoot. Big sister, waiting for her little brother to arrive!

“I had an very difficult pregnancy… I was restricted to the confines of my home.” Big sister, perhaps, listening to the heartbeat of the younger brother.

 

“Taking care of my dogs ensured I never felt the need to blame my pregnancy, the baby, or my husband for the state I was in.”

All photos in the story belong to Sanjana Madappa.