Find out why this woman from West Bengal worships her pet dog as Goddess Lakshmi

Animal lovers across the world may be so close to their furry friends that they may worship them, but that happens only figuratively. However, Kolkata-resident Sukanya Dey is not one of them — she worships her canine fur-baby as Goddess Lakshmi, the deity responsible for prosperity. And social media is going gaga over them!

Maggie was found on the streets of Bengaluru as a baby. She had met with an accident that led to the amputation of one of her hind limbs, and was taken in by Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), where Sukanya found her.

It has since then been a mutually beneficial relationship from both sides. Sukanya told International Business Times, India, that she is a full-time animal rights activist, and has been working with an NGO for our furry and feathered friends. Maggie works as a therapy dog for autistic children!

However, that can be only one of the many reasons Sukanya worships Maggie as Goddess Laskhmi every year. She told IBTimes, India: "I call her maa [mother]. We worship her every day — maybe not ritually, but from the core of our heart. We worship her for her nature, her behaviour and for the noble work she does." The most recent one was on Kojagiri Purnima, on October 15.

She added: "Lakshmi is not only the goddess of wealth. In Bengali, Lakshmi means Sree. Anything beautiful is a creation of her." Sree is used in Bengali to refer to the good condition of a person or thing.

As is evident from the photos, Maggie has become so used to the worshipping that she does not even flinch or fidget when the ritual takes places. She is also patient with the offerings she receives as part of the worship. These qualities of hers can also be attributed to her innate nature and subsequent training to act as a therapy dog for autistic children.

See the full photos of Maggie and Sukanya here.