Dr Ankita Pathak with one of her canine house guests at her boarding facility at Marwe Road, Malad. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

“As A pup, Salman was a fearless pariah who would accompany me every time I took my dog, Eva, for a walk. He would protect her like a bodyguard, which is why we named him Salman,” laughs Rahul Phadke, a businessman living in Andheri. Last year, during Diwali, Salman went missing — turns out he was horrified by the deafening noise of crackers. Fortunately, he was found after a frantic search. But, the intrepid, golden mongrel had become timid and nervous, a far cry from his former self. That’s why, this year, Phadke has decided to keep Salman at a boarding facility to ensure he remains safe during Diwali. “My building being adjacent to the main road, my worry was that he might run off in panic and get hit by a vehicle,” he says.