India, July 25 -- "Swear on Simba," became a mantra for my two boys anytime they knew they were heading for trouble for unfinished chores. "Mama, promise I've done my homework, why are you giving me that look, swear on Simba it's done," the younger one would pipe up, while giving a sideways smile to the character under discussion, our golden Labrador, who would be wagging his tail and circling his little friend as if to protect him from being reprimanded.

Simba came home as a pup when my younger son was two years old. The dog would follow the boys like a waddling shadow everywhere they went and had self-assigned himself a designated spot on the sofa in their room, much to the kids' delight.

Living on a farm, a lot of our evenings would ...