The lone sentinel of Kavalappara has been rescued by the Humane Society International.

The pet dog that had become a symbol of unstinting loyalty amid the loss of lives and heart-wrenching destruction at Kavalappara, near Nilambur, has been rescued by the Humane Society International (HIS).

The Hindu had carried a photograph showing the dog sitting at the site where the house of its master Shivan Pallath and his family stood at Kavalappara, which had been shared widely by other media. None in Shivan’s family is believed to have survived the landslip.

Responding to the heartwarming picture, HIS India outreach coordinator Sally Varma and team came down to Kavalappara and rescued the dog on Thursday.

“This Indie dog has been in deep depression. I could feel the pain and sadness it experiences. It must have been deeply attached to the family of Shivan, and it must have been wishfully waiting for their return,” said Ms. Varma.

The dog being rescued at Kavalappara.

She said there were cases of dogs having died by waiting for their masters. She said they could save the dog not only from such a tragedy, but also from getting hurt or killed during the ongoing search operation with heavy earthmovers.

Arun Bhaskar, Palakkad District Fire Officer who was coordinating the search, said the dog had refused to leave the accident site in spite of their efforts to keep it away.

It had not apparently eaten for a couple of days. Ms. Varma and team had to feed it by coaxing and cajoling. They caged the dog in an empty cage they found in the neighbourhood. “It cannot be allowed to roam around now. It is going through the trauma. It needs to overcome it,” she said.

Even adoption is not possible at this stage. “We can think of adoption only after it regains complete mental and physical health,” she said.

Her team also rescued another dog and a pup from Kavalappara. They visited several other flood-hit areas of Nilambur on Thursday and Friday and fed dozens of dogs and other animals.