Breeding trouble

In Wilson garden a family left their five-year-old girl Dolly in the balcony and took off for a vacation. A neighbour spotted her tied in the balcony, without food or water and howling in a language that she didn't quite know. But she understood that it was the voice of anguish.

A young working couple in the city felt that adopting a child might make their lives more meaningful and they brought home a 35-day-old baby, and in a little more than a week they realised that things didn't quite fit their fancy.

It was a bolt from the blue when they realised the baby had a life of its own, it cried, had nature's calls and sometimes asked for attention in the dead of the night. They effortlessly left the baby at a shelter for adoption.

Roger and Richie both adolescents had a few years of dreamy and pampered childhood. But that didn't last very long. Neglect took over as time passed and they were found emaciated and starved in the family's garage.

The only thing more heartbreaking and horrifying than these stories is the fact that it's happening all around us. Dr Lokesh from Karuna Animal Welfare Association at the request of a neighbour rescued Dolly, a German Shepherd. The only way to do it was to put a ladder and reach the balcony.

The baby Labrador puppy is now at an animal shelter and still hardly has an appetite.

Roger, the Saint Bernard and Richie, the Neapolitan Mastiff were brought to Karuna and then given up for adoption.

And as in cases of abuse towards humans, the perpetrators aren't strangers. In almost all cases the ignorance, insensitivity, indifference and laziness is from the owners themselves. What they once brought home as cute balls of fur — full of infatuation and zest, they discard and neglect as trash.

AT Lingaraj from CUPA (Compassion Unlimited Plus Action) reveals that on an average the shelter has one abandoned canine at its doorstep every day. In the neighbouring animal shelter Karuna, the kennels for abandoned dogs are brimming at any given point in time and currently there are 22 abandoned dogs — cases of accidents not included.

At both the shelters the number of pedigree dogs that have been abandoned are equal to the number of strays that have been thrown out by their families.

Canine orphans of all sizes, temperaments and breeds are rejected democratically — Great Danes, Dalmatians, German Shepherds, Daschunds, Pomeranians, Dobermans, Labradors and Pugs are all regulars.

Dr BC Ramakrishna, president, Karuna  points out that this trend of abandoning pets has risen in the last two years.

"It could be because of people's preoccupation with work," he says. Many leave their dogs in misery, unattended in small spaces and if the dog displays signs of boredom such as chewing things, overexcitement when owners return or barks, they label the pet as unmanageable and desert it.

"Many dogs that people have discarded as badly behaved are surprisingly nice natured, you only need to understand the animal," he says.

Sudha S Narayanan, Trustee, CUPA, says that even the abandoning of their pets is done in the most degrading manner: "Some just leave their dogs on the road, some don't bother looking for their pet when its lost, others parcel it off with the driver to be dropped at an animal shelter and there are those that don't want to shell out any donations for animal shelters and so tie the dog to a tree or pole near the shelter and run away."

The only remedy, says Ramakrishna, to this inhumane behaviour is education so as to ensure responsible pet ownership, regulations for dog breeders and severe penalties for those that display cruelty to animals.

The abandoned dogs that have been conditioned to depend on their masters for all their needs, definitely don't fare well on the streets. Veterinarian Ajitesh Kumar explains why pedigree dogs, specifically, will never be able to survive the big bad world.

"They are just not created for that," he says, "A pedigree dog has been bred through artificial selection over hundreds of years for particular traits. These traits are almost always external so disease resistance is definitely not an asset in a pedigree dog. An Indian breed on the other hand is completely the work of nature, which makes them more robust, disease-resistant, and more independent. Contrary to the general opinion on Indian dogs, they are as trainable, loving and intelligent as any pedigree dogs. They also have longer lifespans and some can live up to 16 or 17 years," he says.

So before a family adopts a dog they must know the resources they have and the responsibilities involved. "You can't have sporting dogs and giant breeds in crammed spaces, just because they look cute," he warns. Narayanan cautions: "Adopting a dog is a lifelong commitment; it's certainly not a toy you bring home."

This responsibility should begin even before a dog reaches a home, at the very source, with the breeders. Should breeders take any blame for just giving away puppies like lifeless playthings?
Yashodhara of Yashbans Kennels who has been breeding pedigree dogs for three decades says that a breeder should know that breeding isn't just a job.

"You're creating life," she explains, "So understanding why someone needs a dog and then explaining everything owning a dog entails is absolutely important." She says she makes sure a prospective dog owner visits her at least three or four times and there are times "we don't give away dogs if we feel that someone is not ready," she says. 

According to her, breeders must stay in touch with the family that adopts the dog till the end of its life. "And if any of my dogs are mistreated, I will definitely take them back," she assures.
Even before ensuring dogs are handed out with responsibility to pet owners by breeders, there must be regulation for breeders. "Since there is no license required to be a dog breeder, anyone with two dogs can start breeding," says R Shantakumar, Animal Welfare Inspector, CUPA. "We have received leads on breeders who themselves are heartless towards the animals they breed. Any vacant piece of land is turned into a shed, dogs are tied, the conditions are unhygienic and females are bred till their last breath,” he says.

Ramakrishna agrees that a proper licensing system for breeders is necessary to avoid an unnecessary rise in the dog population and it's the beginning of curtailing the abandonment of pedigree dogs. "There are regulations under the Animal Welfare Board of India that states that you can breed a female for six years and not more than that. A dog can only breed twice in three years. But, this regulation needs to be implemented."

Dr Piran, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry, says that while currently a breeder doesn't require a license, regulations are being framed. "It will be implemented in a year or so," says YM Ramachandramurthy, Deputy Commissioner, Health, BBMP.

"Once the new law is passed, licenses will be made mandatory and breeders will be charged three times for veterinary services as normal owners. They'll have a registration fee and a monthly fee. Vaccination and registration of the puppies will be kept a tab on," says Piran.

At present breeders can register with the Kennel Club of India and get an affix or prefix for the puppy, this helps breeders trace the bloodline of the dog to three generations and those that register also get a microchip for their dogs. But it's not a compulsory procedure and many breeders do it as they are keen on showing their dogs in dog shows.

Dr Dheeraj B Kashyap of the Bangalore Kennel Club discloses that there are 2,600 breeders who are registered with the club, of which 80 per cent are from Bangalore and the rest are from other parts of the state. In 1990, when the club started, there were merely 300 breeders, he adds.

With all this work in progress, what should one do when faced with the harsh realities of unabated and widespread cruelty of animals? Shantakumar, directs attention to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, Section 11, in brief it reads: "Beating, kicking, keeping the dog in any cage where it has no reasonable opportunity for movement, not exercising the dog, abandoning the dog, keeping the dog habitually chained, etc, among a list of other brutalities constitute cruelty."

He admits, sadly, that he witnesses such acts at an alarmingly common rate, "I attend to least 15 to 20 cases of cruelty in a month and almost always it's an ignorant owner at fault. Some of them don't even know that tying a dog all day long is cruelty." Excuses that people give are many - old age, work, moving out of town, small children at home, etc. He says that they "try and talk to the owners and pay a few visits to see if there is any change in their behaviour".

But over the years, he has lost count of the number of cases. "So many cases, so many," he says before pulling out a few examples that are a stark reminder of our inherent cruelty. He recalls a two-year-old Labrador who was tied on the terrace of an elderly couple in HBR layout for months. "It sat on its own excrement, wasn't fed well, was obviously never taken out for a walk and it remained tied through the rains even," he describes the deplorable condition of the creature.

But what can be done in cases of cruelty? You can call an animal welfare NGO or "go directly to the police and file a complaint", encourages Shantakumar. "Even if someone calls us we have to file a complaint with the police, so it is something any citizen can do themselves."

Advocate Brinda Nandakumar, former CUPA trustee who has been helping with cases of animal abuse says that the law has been effective, but is also severely outdated. "You'll laugh if you hear it," she assures. And she is quite right. The Indian Penal Code, Section 428 talks of "any animal or animals of the value or ten rupees or upwards".

 "What do you get for Rs10 now?" asks Shantakumar.

"There are cognisable and non-cognisable offences. While abandonment, tying the dog, not providing exercise, etc, come under non-cognizable offences, the cognizable offences include killing or maiming of an animal. And for the police to obtain custody of the animal, they must have an order from the magistrate," says Nandakumar.

She then hands out her wish list on what should be changed in the law: "Move the other cruelties like animals being tied up, puppies separated from their mothers early, etc, into cognisable offences, so the police have more authority. Have special courts and enforcement inspectors for animal cases. The law should also provide for educating people," she points.

"The penalty is a measly Rs50 and if you are caught for cruelty twice you can be fined Rs100 and imprisoned for a month [in case of a cognisable offense]," she says. "But you must file a case," insists Shantakumar.

"Once a case is filed, it's enough hassle to attend court hearings and on an average it takes two-and-a-half years for a case to be closed," says Brinda. But even a trial is a strong message that cruelty to animals is not acceptable at any cost.

Naryanan says understanding and loving the animal is very important. "Last week a family wanted to leave their year-old Labrador puppy because they we were moving into a new apartment. I asked them if they would abandon their son if they were moving to a new apartment. They thought about it for a day and took the dog back with them." But of course not all stories end like this.0