Travelling- we all are crazy about and we all want to travel all over the world, right? But imagine a local Indian pup going across the globe. Jealous much? So are we, people! This Kochi-born puppy is ruling the internet with stunning travel pictures with her parents. A Ukrainian couple, Kristina Masalova and Eugene Petrus adopted Chapati (yes, that’s the name) while on their trip to Indian in a dehydrated and starving condition. And that’s when their and Chapati’s lives changed. Scroll down to know more about this adorable puppy and her travel stories.
Meet Chapati’s Parents
Kristina Masalova and Eugene Petrus, is a married couple, part-time travellers and full-time dog lovers from Kyiv, Ukraine. Three years ago, the couple decided to quit their jobs, rent their apartment and buy one-way tickets to India. Interestingly, the only plan at that time they had was to travel through Asia as long as they’ll have some money left! Pretty daring, we say!
Image Source: Instagram/travelingchapati
Image Source: Instagram/travelingchapati
We exclusively spoke to Kristina and she told us all about their passion for travelling with Chapati. She said, “As for now, all my time is dedicated to Chapati. It doesn’t bring any money, but all our family supports us because we believe it helps the world to become a better place to live for animals. Eugene is the main sponsor of the family and for all our travels. Currently, he just takes time-limited projects. But when the project is done, we have enough money and time for a few months of new travels”.
The First Meeting With Chapati
Image Source: Instagram/travelingchapati
Image Source: Instagram/travelingchapati
On their second day in Kochi, which happened to be the first destination of their one-way ticket to India, they found a little puppy, starving, dehydrated and in desperate need of medical attention. They secretly took the puppy to the hotel and provided the first aid and soon realized that she has multiple health problems like- fleas, ticks, internal parasites and an arched leg. Kristina started to develop a bond with the four-legged friend,
“from the very first night, I started to feel it’s my dog but we had lots of doubts about how to move with a dog from one country to another. In a few days, I was ready to fight all possible barriers no matter how hard could that be. It was a real maternal instinct”!
But Why The Name Chapati?
There were multiple reasons why the couple named the puppy Chapati. Firstly, they discovered about the bread (chapati) just a day before meeting the puppy.
Secondly, the puppy was as thin and tan like this flatbread. Adding to which Kristen said, “When I saw the reaction of Indians they started to laugh sincerely, I realized that this name (chapati) is absolutely perfect. Because all I wanted is this dog to bring smiles to everybody around, the same as she brings to us”.
Chapati’s Journey Through Social Media
Image Source: Instagram/travelingchapati
Image Source: Instagram/travelingchapati
After adopting Chapati, the lifestyle of the couple was totally changed. And as they proceeded with their journey in India, they realized the phobia of locals towards adopting Indian street dogs. So, they decided to showcase the Chapati’s journey on social media and let people know how friendly are the Indian street dogs.
“The idea of making Chapati’s Instagram account came to me in India. My idea was to show that everything is possible! The idea of Chapati’s Instagram is to show people around the world how cool are the street dogs and are not worse than any modern pure breeds. Chapati’s Instagram was founded three years ago, in around a week after we met each other”, said Kristina.
Hurdles Didn’t Stop Their Adventure!
The couple faced difficulties while travelling to different countries and faced challenges at places that don’t even allow dogs. But despite that, they never thought of leaving her behind. Kristina said, “You can’t choose the best cafe, cheapest hotel, public transportation or go to any sightseeing. You’re actually limited in everything! You just start to perceive your trips as a challenge and your traveller’s philosophy changes forever”.
Posing And Photoshoot of This Adorable Puppy
Image Source: Instagram/travelingchapati
Image Source: Instagram/travelingchapati
The pictures of Chapati which you see are adorable, but have you ever thought how much struggle the couple has to go through? Talking about the photoshoot session, she said, “She is a dog and easily gets distracted because she is choleric by temperament. She never ever poses and sits at one place when she detects any other animals in a few hundreds of meters. We believe she is almost a perfect model in a dog world. And she is truly cooperative when she’s not distracted”.
So far, Chapati has travelled 30 countries including India, Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar, Greece, Denmark, Poland and more. Talking about the favourite picture so far, she said, “Our family selfie from Nepal in front of Boudhanath Stupa is on top of my list. And it’s also absolutely determinative because it was shot just a few days after we crossed our very first border and took Chapati from India to Nepal, so we were full of confidence and thought that no borders would ever block worldwide travels with our beloved child. It depicts one of the best moments in our lives!”
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/travelingchapati)
