Hyderabad: Illegal sales of exotic dog breeds are picking up in the city. Breeds such as the Caucasian Shepherd dog, English bulldog, Belgian Malinois, St Bernard and Rottweilers — which are not comfortable in Indian weather — are being sold for as high as Rs 1 lakh. The dogs even come with suspect paperwork.
Greedy breeders are also subjecting the females of the breeds to much cruelty as the animals are being turned into ‘puppy mills’. There are no laws or restrictions on breeders in the city and India is yet to bring in an Act to stop illegal dog breeding.
Vasanthi Vadi, the vice president of the Blue Cross says: “There are three breeding seasons for dogs but breeders force them to mate, creating a large number of puppies. This violates basic animal rights.”
Later, puppies, as young as 28 days, are sold off. “City vets benefit too because their earnings rely on these breeds falling sick,” adds Vadi.
People for Animals, a city-based animal welfare group, booked a case against a breeder at Malakpet recently. The Hyderabad Municipal Act makes it mandatory for pet owners to get a licence — issued in the form of an aluminium token — for an annual payment of Rs 50. But there is no such provision for breeders.
