ORIGIN: Kochi always had a dedicated clan of dog lovers. From time to time, many of them have come together under different banners. The Canine Club of Cochin is one such body of dog enthusiasts, which is focused on spreading knowledge on various aspects of dog breeding and rearing. The Canine Club of Cochin began in the eighties, slipped into dormancy for several years and restarted in 2009. Ever since, led by a team of dog lovers in Kochi, the club has been highly active. Today, the club has around 60 members and a group of volunteers to carry out their activities.
ACTIVITIES: The club has been holding a range of programmes on the subject- sessions by professional trainers, seminars on canine-related topics and awareness classes on various methods of breeding dogs- at frequent intervals. Apart from organising dog show with a pan-Indian presence, the club has been taking a keen interest in spreading the message of how to be a good canine citizen. The club will be organising a session next month to train dogs by a Scotland-trained dog trainer. Recently, they had organised a session on neo-natal care of puppies. “Efforts are on from our part to construct a public crematorium for animals. If the Corporation of Cochin provides us with a space, we are willing to make one,”remarks Richard, secretary of the club. “It’s already a reality in Indian metros,” he adds. The latest event put up by The Canine Club of Cochin was an ‘All India All Breeds Championship’ held last week. “The show had a pan-Indian presence and around 300 dogs spread over 35 varieties from across the country were put on view”, says Gladin J. Panackal, president of the club. “Many outstation participants had remarked that arrangements and the quality of the canines on show was of a high level,” he adds.
IMPACT: The club has been making efforts to bring more awareness about rabies through anti-rabies campaigns and free vaccination camps. They have also been organising Animal Birth Control (ABC) sessions to check the population of stray dogs with the support of other social bodies.
GETTING IN TOUCH: To know more about The Canine Club of Cochin and their activities call 9495633623 (secretary) or 9847001573 (president). Email: canineclubcochin@gmail.com
