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Shivajinagar’s hell-on-earth for animals

The famous pet market in Shivajinagar just beside the beef market and Russell market is a horror for the animals kept there.

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The famous pet market in Shivajinagar just beside the beef market and Russell market is a horror for the animals kept there. A part of the market is untouched, ignored and remains uncleaned for years by the shopkeepers as well as the authorities. Shopkeepers pass the buck saying the authorities have not taken initiatives to maintain cleanliness. The animals, unfortunately, remain silent sufferers.

When a DNA reporter walked into the market, it was noticed that a certain part of the market remained untouched by authorities responsible for cleanliness. On enquiring, a shopkeeper, Janooz M said that it had not been “touched for more than 10 years”.
The deplorable condition, however, has not affected sales. The large hall is dark and damp with the water penetrating the roof whenever it rains.

“Despite this being such an old market, the authorities are not taking care of it,” adds a shopkeeper. “We want the authorities to do something about the whole thing. The animals’ health might be affected due to this problem,” says Abdul K, another shopkeeper.

The shoddily maintained part of the market could, if cleaned up, offer more space for the animals, instead of them being housed four to six in a cage. Animal NGOs like CUPA’s vice-president Suparna Ganguly, says “The shopkeepers could have kept the place clean. They are not selling healthy pets to the public. However, most of the animals that are caged there are born through unethical breeding.”

“We had people buy three Pomeranian pups from there that eventually died of different diseases,” adds Sudha N, a CUPA trustee. While shopkeepers say there is a loss in business, many pet-lovers in the city are being told by the NGOs to not visit the shops. “We are cautioning people from buying their pets from there. We always advise people to buy pets from good breeders as well as from the pet markets that are well-maintained,” adds Sudha.

A pet-lover who has a Labrador, says, “I have visited this place at least four to five times. What is very sad is that the shopkeepers do not keep the place tidy.”
Animal activist Brinda Nandakumar, says, “The pets must be given enough space to move about. Apparently that is not happening here.”

On speaking to the authorities there, the medical-in-charge officer, BBMP, Shivajinagar, says, “I do not know about this. I will have to go for inspection and find out.”  While the cleaning and the maintenance assistant engineer Krishnappa, says, “I will attend to it as soon as possible. We were not aware of it as it was inside the market”
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