Owners dump pedigree dogs on PFA

CHANDIGARH, Aug 1: The price of pedigree dogs can run to Rs 10,000 or more but while the animals are certainly "dear" in the mo...

CHANDIGARH, Aug 1: The price of pedigree dogs can run to Rs 10,000 or more but while the animals are certainly "dear" in the monetary sense, going by the experience of animal shelters in the city, some of these animals are not dear to their owners emotionally. Rather, they are kept for a few years and then left on the street or at the animal shelter doorstep.

"Over the past year we have taken in Pomeranians, Spitzes, Labradors, Dobermans, German Shepherds, Cocker Spaniels and Poodles. In some cases, we know where the dogs have come from, and invariably the former home was a well-to-do one," says People For Animals member Payal Sodhi.

PFA had very few such cases in 1997; this changed in 1998 and in the past seven months of 1999 the cases of abandoned "shareef kuttas" has been more than ever. In most cases, neighbours or some local dog lover gives PFA a call to rescue the dog. "We have nine such dogs in our shelter at present … all of them abandoned pets," says Sodhi.

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The youngest of these dogs is about two years old and the oldest is a venerable 13. As they are used to living in homes with people they do not adjust well to the shelter. Neither are they street-smart as stray dogs are: they readily go to whoever calls them, making them vulnerable to teasing and beating and they are not wise to traffic making them vulnerable to accidents.

Veterinarian with People For Animals Dr Nishtha Pathak related a number of cases of pedigree dogs which had come in with the telltale wounds of beatings or who were starving. Two Dobermans rescued by PFA recently were too badly traumatised to be saved.

"Then again, we sometimes get a dog that is in excellent condition save for some slight skin infection or a touch of cold. A perfectly good animal that has been dumped," the doctor says.

PFA volunteers say they have heard just about every possible reason for "inability to look after the dog" … everything from: children must concentrate on studies … son or daughter is leaving home and parents can’t look after it … the couple both work and have no time to look after the dog … the family is moving away and can’t take the dog along … it doesn’t like a particular member of family … it has skin problem … and even because the dog stayed away from home for two days.

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When Newsline contacted some of the persons whose dogs have been left with the PFA they refused to comment on the issue.

Because they are mature animals, few people come forward to adopt them despite their purebred status. Because of their age, adjustment problems are more. "Dogs are creatures of habit and may have trouble adjusting to a totally new environment. The best we’ve done is four adoptions in a month," says Sodhi.