Minor Characters

Sonam Pem
Sonam Pem is a tall and heavy girl with dull eyes who was working as a maid in her cousin’s house and later goes to work for foreigners. Dawa first sees her chasing away all the dogs that had gathered in her compound. She was rather rough and was beating the dogs with a heavy stick. But as Dawa came by, she clicked her tongue to call him and scrapped a pan of rice and vegetables in front of him.

Tangpa
Tangpa is an enormously overweight but handsome black dog who has the kindest and the gentlest pair of dog eyes on the black face. The brown fur marking around his eyes and mouth had the softening effect on his benevolent looks. The reason why he has become fat is not because of the food but his maleness has been taken out of him.

Zorro
Zorro is a small proud, white, fluffy dog who is hugely entertaining; he got his name from a foreign hero from a foreign land. It seems that he is not happy with the food that he was given.

Grisly old dog
Grisly old dog is a lazy and lethargic dog who was deported from Bumthang. He corrects Dawa saying that he is in Mongar and shows Dawa all the places to avoid and the places where ordinary dogs congregated.

Merkhang
Merkhang is a very old dig with red-brown markings around his face and neck. He has a majestic looks of territoriality over his domain. He was an imposing guard dog once. He has long fur that need grooming. His eyes were piercing and he has a booming voice. The area under his eyes was wet, large folds of his upper lips hung below his chin like a fleshy beard. The untidy bristles on his face were coarse and gray and he has a slight tremor in his body.

Nomola
Nomola is a gawky female yak dog, a teenager, who is going to be the next guard dog. She is good looking with huge joints and paws.

Singyemo
Singyemo is a pretty, fluffy and shameless flirtatious female dog who has long fluttering eyelashes and who asks Dawa about his breed or lineage when he asks her to marry him for the season.

Katu
Katu is an arrogant dog who walks away with Singyemo.

Yellow dog
He is an eager youngster who tries to prove himself and who enumerate words.

Gray dog
He is a wretched dog with mange who was treated badly by humans as well as other dogs. He has crushed and raw skin without any fur. His skin is filled with pus and spots of bloods that looked like ripe strawberries.

Big dog
He is a big dog following a shepherd who tells where Gelong Ma Pelmo’s cave is.

Phuntsho
Phuntsho is a young monk at Thowadrak who is always eager for a chance to break solemnity of the disciplined monistic life and who tries to chase Dawa away. He is a wiser beyond his age.

Tenzin Dorji
Tenzin Dorji is a monk at Thowadrak who loves dogs.

The three Pilgrims
The three pilgrims are three women who visit Thowadrak to offer butter lamp and prayers. It is because of them, Dawa finally finds Gelong Ma Pelmo’s cave.
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