Mandi cloudbursts: Puppy who saved lives lauded in Assembly; substitute for warning system, says Congress MLA

On June 30, Rocky alerted its owner Lalit Bhardwaj of an imminent flash flood that hit Syathi Tribala village, saving more than 55 people

Written by Saurabh Parashar

Shimla | Updated: August 19, 2025 08:56 PM IST

3 min read

Rocky, a Gaddi breed puppy, was six-months-old at the time of the incident. (Source: File)

Congress MLA from Gagret mentioned and applauded pet dog Rocky, who was credited with saving nearly 20 families on June 30, during the ongoing monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday.

In a lighter vein, MLA Rakesh Kalia described Rocky as a substitute for sophisticated Early Warning Systems (EWS) until such systems are installed in the state’s disaster-prone areas.

On June 30, Rocky alerted Lalit Bhardwaj, its owner, of an imminent flash flood that hit Syathi Tribala village under Longni Gram Panchayat. The timely warning saved more than 55 people, including children, women and senior citizens. Bhardwaj, along with others, was awakened by Rocky’s loud continuous barking and went to comfort the dog. On stepping outside, they noticed an overflowing rivulet on the verge of sweeping the village, following which they raised an alarm.

Rocky, a Gaddi breed puppy, was six-months-old at the time of the incident.

During a discussion on natural disasters under Rule 67, the Congress MLA said, “The way Rocky saved nearly 60 lives in Syathi village… is an eye-opener… I also have a pet dog… whenever a windy storm comes, my pet gets nervous… starts barking. Dogs have natural senses to identify such events in advance. We can have dogs like Rocky being an EWS till the time these gadgets are not being installed at every sensitive and prone place to the natural disaster in Himachal Pradesh.”

Speaking in the house, MLA Kalia also mentioned a St Bernard breed dog and said: “There is a record about a dog in Switzerland which saved around 100 human lives in a heavy snow storm.”

He also drew attention to the increasing pattern of cloudbursts and shifting rainfall from higher altitudes to lower elevations.

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Meanwhile, Bhardwaj said, “It is a matter of pride that Rocky was discussed in the Assembly. We owe our lives to him and will never forget what he did. Rocky is now eight-months-old. Rocky is with us. We are currently staying in a rented accommodation nearby our village.”

Notably, the puppy was swept away by the strong water current of the rivulet, along with the temporary shelter, only to be found stuck in the bushes the next day.

On June 30, massive cloudbursts also struck several other areas in Mandi district.

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