JOIN USWith return to office, some families deserting their pets
Many Bengalureans, especially new pet parents, are turning their back on their adopted little ones, according to owners of pet shops and animal shelters.
Adopting pets became a fad during the pandemic, says Prithvi Jayakaran, proprietor, Glenands Pet Store, Church Street. “Many did not realise that it comes with responsibility which lasts for about 15 years as pets are basically children who never grow up,” he says.
His advice: parents should train their pets properly in the initial three months. “A lot of work goes into it. Since many failed at this, the destructive nature of their pets became hard to deal with when they were out of their homes,” he says.
One day, when he went to his store, he found a puppy tied to the shutter. On another occasion, someone had left a bag full of kittens at his doorstep. “One of my new customers asked me if I could keep her pet since she was moving back to her hometown. I already had my own little ones to look after, so I refused. But I found her five-month-old puppy tied to my shutter the next day,” he says.
Customers asked Pradeep Kumar, owner of a pet store in Kammanahalli, to find new homes for their pets. “I put up posts on social media,” he says.
Many couples adopted animals to keep their children engaged. “Now that the children are going back to school, they want to give the pets away like used toys,” he says.
Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre in Yelahanka has taken in about 50 abandoned dogs in about three months. “We are a trauma centre, and whenever we accept an abandoned dog, we have to say no to an injured dog in need of care,” says Keerthan R P, manager.
Breeds that are prone to health complications topped the list. “We have had at least 15 to 20 pugs being dropped at our centre,” he says. “Persian cats and love birds were also abandoned.”
During the initial phase of the pandemic, the shelters saw a surge in abandonment as many thought pets were potential virus spreaders.
But once that confusion was cleared, more and more people volunteered to adopt dogs and cats. “The second lockdown was different. Pets by then had become more of a responsibility, and so the number of abandonments again went up,” explains Keerthan.
Dogs adopted from shelters are not often abandoned. It is the animals purchased from pet shops and illegal breeders that are abandoned, says Archana Deshmukh, communications, CUPA, Ulsoor.
At shelters most pet parents are taken through an elaborate adoption procedure which drives home important points. “But for illegal breeders, profit is the only motive,” she says.
Not so ‘cute’ anymore
Many who bought ‘cute’ puppies from pet shops are planning to abandon them. Because illegal breeders are greedy and irresponsible, genetic and birth defects develop in puppies. Once parents realise their pets have a health problem, they start thinking about giving them up, especially if the medical bills are high, says an animal welfare activist.