Five dogs named Bich La, Buoi, Ba Can, U, and Kino take turns every day helping their owner, Mr. Doan Van Hai (60 years old, Dong Thap), sell lottery tickets to make a living.
For nearly a decade, Mr. Doan Van Hai’s life was full of difficulties and he had to do all kinds of jobs, from construction worker, following a lotto group, selling lottery tickets, to pulling ropes at the ferry… to make a living. However, during that time, he never felt lonely, thanks to the presence of his “children” who accompanied and helped him wholeheartedly.
Sharing with Phu Nu So newspaper, Mr. Doan Van Hai said that in his pack of dogs, there are 5 dogs, all of which are of the Vietnamese breed. Each dog weighs from 10 to 25kg. He named them in order: Bich La, Buoi, Ba Can, U, and Kino. Among them, Bich La is considered the “oldest brother” and also the smartest dog in the pack. Bich La has been with Mr. Hai throughout the years he worked for a living and has become his trusted companion.
Mr. Hai said: “I asked for Bich La in Tra Vinh, when I asked for it, it only weighed 2kg. It followed me to work at the fair all the time. When I sold things to customers, Bich La saw it, ran over, put it in her mouth, and snatched the bag of things to give to the customer. I noticed many times, every time she snatched the things from my hand to give to the customer.”
Since Mr. Hai realized that Bich La had natural talent, he always brought this dog with him wherever he went and took care of it constantly. For Mr. Hai, Bich La became an indispensable part of his life. In particular, he was so worried about the safety of his pet dog that he was willing to hold Bich La in his arms and call him “grandpa – Bich La”, creating a special relationship between them like a real grandfather and grandchild.
When selling fried fish balls at a crowded fair, Mr. Hai did not forget to bring Bich La, not only to protect the dog but also to show their solidarity. Because he was afraid that Bich La would be taken away, he later applied for a job at Nhat Tao ferry (Tan Tru, Long An) to continue to be with his beloved dog. The owner and dog have since formed a close, inseparable relationship.
He said: “The work of pulling and tying the rope when the ferry docks or leaves the port requires a lot of strength. Bich La noticed it and one time when he saw the ferry dock, he ran over to cut the rope and pulled one end in to help me. He and I split up into two sides. When people saw them, they turned back. Many people got off the ferry just hoping to see him.”
However, later, because the number of visitors to Bich La increased, leading to overload at the ferry terminal, Mr. Hai could not continue his work. Finally, he decided to return to his hometown and use the money from selling lottery tickets to maintain his daily life.
In addition, Mr. Hai also introduced his grandchildren and great-grandchildren: “Buoi and Ba Can are Bich La’s children. Kino is the eldest wife, and little U is the youngest wife. I would like to take care of Bich La’s two wives who are still in the countryside.”
According to Mr. Hai, all five dogs take turns selling lottery tickets with him every day. To attract customers, they also know how to impress customers by holding lottery tickets with their paws, performing circus acts and playing with customers.
While Mr. Hai was “ordering” her around, Bich La calmly walked into the house and took out a box of money. According to Mr. Hai, he used all the money he earned from selling lottery tickets to ensure that the dogs had enough food and money for their vaccinations.
He confided: “I live proudly because of my grandchildren.”
Currently, Mr. Hai has built a thatched house with rubber walls right next to the canal bank to provide shelter from the rain and sun. To ensure he has enough money to sustain his life and feed his 5 dogs, Mr. Hai also has to earn extra money to sell lottery tickets.
Every day, he spent 1 to 2 hours cleaning the cages and living quarters for the dogs. After a while, when people knew about his work, he also collected enough money to build a temporary cage to provide all 5 dogs with a place to eat and sleep.
Mr. Hai said: “I spend a lot of time teaching them, partly because I was taught and partly because they are inherently intelligent. They listen and understand their master’s wishes.”
