Dogs and death

The dog is a reliable, loyal animal liked by all mankind. Rich people keep dogs for their pleasure. Rural Parsis keep them to protect their property. Some owners provide their dogs with a leather belt studded with steel spikes to protect them while fighting wild beasts and intruders.
Parsis have a special relationship with this animal. God has gifted the dog with a divine gift whereby it can tell whether a person is dead or alive. The ruvan (dead body) is shown to the dog twice before the nassesalars consign it to the dakhma. Using its natural instinct, the dog can predict through a typical gesture whether the person is dead. This custom is known as sagh-deed — that is seen by the dog — and this is followed strictly by the community. PIROSHA M. TAMBOLI
Navsari