JOIN USIneffective laws don't deter dog breeders
Despite the existence of strong laws on the import of pedigree breeds, animal experimentation and licensing in the country, illegal dog breeding and marketing at pet shops only seems to be growing in the city.
A reason for this is that even though the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act has been enacted, it is not implemented or adhered to in all states and city councils. Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, who has been working on this issue tirelessly, says that mistreatment of dogs is on the rise.
“Mother dogs are housed in bad conditions, with limited food and no health care. Puppies less than two months old aren’t vaccinated and are sold at exorbitant amount across the country,” she says.
When the animals are bred in terrible conditions, the young puppies often become weak and sick. “Most of the pet parents who buy these puppies are inexperienced. So they don’t know how to deal with the puppies if they get parvo disease, a common occurrence in breeded dogs. They either try to give them back or abandon them.”
According to the Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules 2017, all breeders of dogs must be registered with the Animal Welfare Board of India. If you breed without registration, it can result in the confiscation of breeding stock and puppies and a fine up to Rs 5,000 per unsterilised female dog.
It also states that the dogs must be micro-chipped and no bitch will be bred from her first season. Studs and bitches above eight years are not allowed to be bred and they must be sterilised.
It’s not just the backyard breeders who have a set of rules to be followed. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) rules, 2018 has an exhaustive list of measures that ensure pet shops follow safe and anti-cruelty guidelines.
The reality of it is that majority of these shops are unlicensed. Citizen activists say that this is because of the lack of regulation and control.
“The lack of enforcement of existing laws also leads to a loss for the government. There is so much revenue that can be generated from just the licensing. Each breeder’s license costs more than Rs 5,000 a year. There is an additional Rs 5,000 for the establishment license, followed by Rs 500 per stud or bitch. If it’s a pet shop, there’s a licensing fee that needs to be paid every year. It’s unfortunate that the civic authorities are not interested in collecting their legitimate fee as well as discouraging cruelty towards these innocent animals,” opines an animal activist who did not wish to be named.
Petition in place
In order to voice their concerns, members of The CJ Memorial Trust Bangalore have petitioned Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, AWBI and Maneka Gandhi. The online petition on www.change.org is a bucket list to implement dog breeding and pet shop rules nationwide via SAWB.
You would be called a breeder even if you want to cross your pet dog with another one. You must have a license to do so; it is a way to monitor the market.
Changing trend among pet parents
Most millennials prefer to adopt an Indie dog or rescue pets now. Pet owners who have pedigree dogs are being mocked and shamed, online and offline. However, people who purchased pedigree dogs from breeders say they weren’t aware of the terrible condition the dogs were kept in. Most of them say they won’t do it again.