Swiggy the dog: Delhi's German Shepherd who lost its home, but not its hope of finding love
Swiggy, a German Shepherd, was found in South Delhi. Seemingly abandoned by its owner, she kept waiting on a scooter for hours. Read her heart-wrenching tale.
In the evening hours, around 5pm on January 14, a German Shepherd was found whimpering atop a scooter in south Delhi’s Govindpuri, Gali no 8. The sight of this out-of-place beauty caught the attention of several onlookers, who watched as she whimpered and refused to move. Among these, one kind soul endeavoured to take this doggo home but it refused to budge and kept itself parked on the scooty, as if missing the one owned by its parent.

Soon the information reached Ajay Joshi, a Delhi-based animal activist who rushed to the scene. “When I saw her, it was clear that she had most likely been abandoned and was waiting, perhaps in hope, for her owners to come back looking for her,” recalls Joshi, who shared this lost soul’s story and its owners’ apathy on X. His post went viral and has so far amassed over 523k views and 6.1k likes.
A search for its owner began immediately, and pictures of the dog started circulating online along with posters circulated. By 3am, that is almost 10 hours later, it became clear that no one was coming to find her. “That’s when we decided to look for a home away from home for her,” adds Joshi.
As countless comments from social media users expressed both sorrow and help, the furry buddy, now awaits in a boarding facility in Greater Noida. “We’ve named her Swiggy. She was sent the very the next day to the boarding,” informs Joshi, ruing how the abandonment of purebred dogs has been on the rise. “People often adopt these dog breeds for vanity because they find them cute as puppies or because they’re influenced by celebrities. But as soon as they realise the responsibilities attached to having a pet, they abandon them. This year alone, I’ve rescued around 50 animals in Delhi. In fact, I just got a call about a Husky near India Gate as we speak. It’s so unfortunate,” says Joshi.
He also points out the stark difference in the way purebred and indie dogs are treated. Joshi adds, “In Govindpuri, where people regularly throw away the water bowls kept for street dogs and mistreat them, everyone was in awe of Swiggy because of her sad eyes, soft fur, and purebred features. It’s high time we stop differentiating between breeds and extend kindness to all dogs.”
Among those who saw Joshi's X post was Kaveri Rana, founder of Smart Sanctuary in Greater Noida. “On the morning of January 15, I was sipping lemon water when I first saw Swiggy's face on my X feed, and it tugged at my heartstrings,” recounts Rana, adding, “I immediately contacted Ajay, hoping that by now someone had already given her a home. But if not, I was more than ready to welcome her into my sanctuary and care for her.”
In the few days that Swiggy has been with her, Rana has observed serious signs of trauma in the doggo. “She longs to go back home. She’s happiest when she’s in a car, an auto, or on a scooter. It feels like that’s where she feels safe,” says this resident of Greater Noida, who presently cares for over 127 dogs, 13 cats, and several other animals, and shares with us optimistically: “This sweet and gentle soul definitely deserves a loving home. She’ll just need time and rehabilitation to heal before that can happen. Thankfully, there’s been so much interest in adopting her that even actor Raveena Tandon has reached out to us about Swiggy. I just hope this one finds a family she can truly call her own, without fearing abandonment ever again!”
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