Photo of homeless boy sleeping with dog to keep warm in Uttar Pradesh goes viral!

• Ankit, 10, was abandoned by his mum, dad is in jail, Danny the dog is his best friend.

10-year-old Ankit with his dog, Danny, sleeping under a blanket to keep warm on the streets of chilly Uttar Pradesh.

Patna: A photo of a homeless boy sharing a blanket with a dog to keep warm during the chilly winter in Uttar Pradesh has gone viral.

The 10-year-old, identified as Ankit, works at tea stalls to survive. He was was found cuddled up with his loyal friend, Danny, in Muzaffarnagar on Monday.
Police said Ankit does not know where he comes from. He only recalls being abandoned by his mother shortly after his father was jailed. Since then, he has been working at tea stalls during the day and sleeping with the dog at night on the streets.

The heart-moving story came to light after a photograph of the boy sleeping in the company of the dog was shared on social media a fortnight ago.

According to reports, the dog never left the boy’s side and guarded him at all times. In return, the boy would regularly give the dog scraps of food bought using the little money he earned.

Acting on the photograph, the local Muzaffarnagar district administration began a hunt to locate the boy and eventually traced him on Monday. “The boy is now under the care of the district administration and all efforts were being made to trace his parents,” Muzaffarnagar’s district probation officer Mohammad Mushfakeen said. He informed the administration was planning to admit him to a school to give him a better education.

The local senior superintendent of police Abhishek Yadav said they have sent the photographs of the boy to various police stations in a bid to search for his parents. “The department of Women and Social Welfare too has been alerted,” the police official added.

The action of Muzaffarnagar district administration has drawn applause from social media users who also appealed to the authorities not to separate the boy from his best friend — the dog.

“Thank you for taking care of Ankit. I hope he is not separated from Danny. Where is Danny? It’s crucial that they stay together for emotional reassurance,” Tweeted Sonya Bannerjee.

“Kudos to everyone who helped Ankit. Please make sure Danny to be with Ankit,” said Umesh Dewangan.