NEW DELHI: They picked up 'Luka', a mixed breed dog, from the streets of Virginia in the United States but lost him on the streets here.
Unable to bear the pangs of missing Luka, an American couple -- Iftah and Martha Mashav -- have announced a reward of Rs one lakh for anyone who helps them trace the dog.
"We adopted Luka last December from Virginia. He is a mixed breed and so he is not worth much money. But he means the world to us and this is why we are offering the huge amount to anyone who finds him," Martha, employed in the US embassy here, said.
" We have barely slept since Diwali night when Luka went missing. Every moment without Luka is painful. Some people may feel that the offer of Rs one lakh for a dog is ridiculous but the fact remains that Luka is like our son," she said.
It was on October 28 that Luka ran out of their house in Malcha Marg in Chanakyapuri after a firecracker burst near him.
"We were sitting in the garden and a small band playing drums and singing came. At one point, a loud firecracker nearby frightened Luka. He went into a state of shock and wanted to get away and ran out of the gate as fast as ever to try to escape," the couple said.
The couple, who had shifted to Delhi only on August 29 this year, remembers that many people near their residence know him as "Mr Luka".
"The autorickshaw drivers all knew him and Luka loved riding in the rickshaws. The children of construction workers were also friendly with him," Martha said.
Martha said they ran out behind Luka but could not stop him.
"The autorickshaw drivers have been so nice to us. They have taken us all around Chanakyapuri. Along with us they yelled out Luka's name and we whistled so that he can run to us. Some drivers even refused to take money from us," she said.
The couple has also filed a complaint with police besides pasting photographs of Luka in the locality asking people who have spotted him to either inform the American embassy or call their phone number -- 0-9801302769.
Martha and her husband said they adopted Luka as they wanted to "help a street dog" rather than pay for one.
