Dog is man’s best friend, at least until it develops an illness, gets old or just becomes an inconvenience! This is how many Delhiites seem to be thinking, as the number of abandoned pets, especially expensive pedigree dogs, is growing each year.
Though there is no way of telling how many pets end up being abandoned annually, activists and animal lovers say there is a sad upward trend in the number of dogs that are left to fend for themselves. And among the most neglected are pedigree dogs, the same animals that people spend up to lakhs of rupees to buy.
Geeta Seshamani, the vice-president of Friendicoes SECA, which runs shelters in South Delhi and Gurgaon, said the organisation has about 900 dogs right now.
“Ironically, there is more awareness now… and so we have more people taking care of desi dogs, while we are getting inundated with pedigree dogs,” said Ms. Seshamani.
In the last month alone, Friendicoes took in three St. Bernards, 15 labrador retrievers, eight pomeranians, one mastiff and a few dachshunds. Some of these dogs are up for adoption, some have been given to foster homes already, but many are too old or ill to be re-homed.
“People tend to pick these breeds to follow a fashion. But, these breeds tend to have hereditary medical issues so they require more care. People tell us that it’s just easier to buy a new dog than pay for the treatment of the old one,” added Ms. Seshamani.
The story at the Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre in West Delhi is the same, with pets getting left at the gate of the premises every week.
Ambika Shukla, the director of the centre, said people tend to abandon pets when the animals develop an illness, become old, and when the family has to move. The centre currently houses 35 abandoned dogs.
“We get five to eight calls every day on our helpline from people who are thinking of abandoning their pets. They say their dog has develop kidney problems or has bitten someone or simply that they can’t handle it,” said Ms. Shukla.
Again there is no way of knowing how many of those people end up leaving their dogs on the streets, but the regularity with which abandoned animals make their way to the shelter is alarming.
At the Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre is a great dane that the shelter staff have named Tinu. He was found in a drain with a maggot-infested injury to the face.
“He couldn’t eat as his mouth was covered with maggots. But he has recovered well now and is ready for adoption by people who have access to veterinarians,” said Ms. Shukla.
Another dog, a doberman who goes by Doby, was left by his owner, a single woman who said she couldn’t look after him anymore as he had problems with his kidneys and liver. Doby too has recovered and is quite well-natured, said Ms. Shukla.
A black lhasa apso was recently left tied outside the centre. She had a fever of 107 degrees, but was able to recover quickly, and has been adopted already.
Golu, a St. Bernand who walks with a limp, was left near the centre too.
To adopt the dogs mentioned in this story or others you can call 25448062 (Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre) and 24314787 (Friendicoes SECA)
