Why rich and spoilt Indians' obsession with foreign dogs is dangerous
Picture for representative purpose. (Credit: Reuters)
It is never a slow day at the Humane Society International, India office. Two years ago, on one such busy day, a good samaritan who witnessed severe neglect of a dog reached out to us. Someone had brought a pug to a clinic with only bits of his lower jaw remaining. Maggots had eaten the rest away. The "owner" refused veterinary advice to euthanise the suffering animal and insisted on a second opinion. This person did not buy the story and followed the man home, where the pug was chained outside the door.
It was past 10pm by the time our director of veterinary affairs, Dr Sunil Chawla, reached the pug’s home, only to find him missing. The "owner", not wanting to deal with a dying animal, had unceremoniously dumped the poor dog in some woods on the city outskirts. Finally, at 1am, the dog was found, but by that time, it was too late. The pug was dead, a few hundred meters from where the offender admitted to have abandoned him. His small body lay beside a puddle of water where he had painfully crawled over to die.
This was two years ago. But not much has changed when it comes to some people abandoning dogs heartlessly, once they discover that keeping a pet requires a financial commitment, duty of care, and love. Every day, shelters and animal rescuers are inundated with dozens of calls about abandoned dogs.
Last year, India instituted a ban on importing dogs for breeding in light of significant animal welfare concerns associated with the shipping and importation of breeds of dogs not suitable for the country’s tropical climate. Together with the pending rules to regulate breeders and pet shops, these moves are meant to reduce the number of “pedigree” dogs or cats being sold by breeders, like huskies, St Bernard’s and pugs, and also encourage Indians to adopt animals from shelters.
The popularity of dog breeds is heavily influenced by culture. In 2003, a Vodafone ad that showed a boy walking in the countryside with an adorable pug ambling behind him fuelled the sales of the breed. Suddenly, everyone had to have a pug. Once some of the owners discovered that the animals have respiratory problems because they are bred to have that adorable flat face and short noses, dogs were abandoned to suffer and die. After the 1996 Disney movie, 101 Dalmatians, everyone wanted a black-and-white spotted dog. But then reality is different from films, and soon Dalmatians were dotting our country’s streets. Only to be replaced by pugs, years later.
Go to most dog parks or beaches in the country, and they are dotted with St Bernards, Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes.
In India, temperatures are soaring. It’s hard enough for all of us who are used to living in tropical weather to get used to this kind of relentless heat. Just imagine how hot these dogs must feel — their fur suitable for colder polar regions. One article suggests that huskies can withstand cold up to -51 degrees C.
Many breeders and pet shops that supply these dogs have been found to raise the dogs in deplorable conditions, often putting profit before animal welfare. And this results in many dogs having behavioural and health issues.
In 2015, we were informed about hounds being kept in abysmal conditions. Our team found three gorgeous, but starving Mudhol hounds. A mother and her puppies were tied apart from each other in an empty plot that doubled as a garbage dump. They had clearly been abused — they shrunk in fear when approached. It took days for the foster parent to gain their trust. They hadn’t been vaccinated or provided any form of nutrition. The "owner" was a breeder, who did not wish to waste his "profits" on sustaining the animals. Sadly, the female and her puppies had already contracted distemper and within a couple of months of rescue, the puppies did. The female, who since then was sterilized, is still waiting to be adopted into a loving home, where she won’t be subject to repeated impregnations.
India’s constitution makes it our fundamental duty to be compassionate towards all living creatures and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, defines cruelty as causing unnecessary pain and suffering to animals.
While the number for Indian street dogs adopted has increased over the years, the abandoning of pedigree dogs have also increased and the two are mutually exclusive.
A pet is a commitment for life and no money or power can beat the nature of responsibility that it is. Spay and neuter is the next big favour you can do your pets, it will help prevent further cruelty to your dog and its puppies while helping other needy dogs on the street.While the new laws will address many of these issues, we can only urge Indians to do their part by being responsible pet owners and adopting, instead of buying pets and ensuring your pet is sterilised.
This will not only change the treatment of animals as commodities, but also help the lives of animals. It is time we empathise with our furry four-legged friends, or else man’s best friend will not want to be our best friends anymore.