Ratan Tata: How Tango and Tito were instrumental in him opening a 24*7 emergency care hospital for pets

After battling a prolonged illness, Ratan Tata, the legendary Indian businessman and the chairman emeritus of the Tata Group, passed away at 86 on Wednesday night. He breathed his last at the Breach Candy Hospital, where he was admitted for the past few days. While tributes poured for him from world leaders, politicians, entrepreneurs, the world of entertainment and more, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) also came out with a statement saying the organisation is deeply saddened by the death. The visionary's love for dogs and cats, including strays, was well known. A few years ago, he famously shared on social media a photo of an employee of the Taj Hotels in Mumbai who was shielding a dog from the rain, putting an umbrella over its head. He had even shared posts asking people to be careful not to harm stray animals, which take shelter under vehicles during the monsoon season. 

No to the King, yes to pets
Just a few months ago, he started the Small Animal Hospital of Mumbai (SAHM), which even gives 24*7 special emergency care for animals. It even has ICUs, a high dependency unit (HDU) with life support for critically injured animals and even various diagnostic services like MRI, X-ray and CT scans. Separate waiting areas for various animals and special dental, dermatological, and ophthalmology treatments and counselling were some of the other features of the state-of-the-art hospital. 

His pet dogs Tango and Tito had a special place in his life and many say they are the reasons why he decided to launch such a hospital. Once, Tata famously confessed that he skipped a prestigious award function, in which he was to receive the award from King Charles III in London, as one of the dogs had fallen ill. Interestingly, he decided to open a high-end hospital after he had to take one of his pet dogs to the US for a joint replacement a few years ago. Sadly, as he reached late, the doctors couldn't help the dog as its joint had frozen in the injured position, by then. It's often said that this made him think about launching a good hospital for animals. The launch of SAHM was announced in 2017 and it started functioning in July this year.