A Great Dane dog currently being bred at the World Veterinary Services facility in Biketi, Nilgiris. | | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A few days ago, animal rights activists found two Great Danes tied up in the thickets of the forest around Tetukkar in Udhagamandalam. These are the latest “breeding dogs” abandoned by owners, usually breeders, who purchased dogs to make money selling puppies during the COVID-19 pandemic, where livelihoods have been affected.
Nagina Reddy, node officer for the Nilgiris Society for the Prevention of Animals to Animals (NSPCA), said the two dogs could have been left alone for up to a week before being rescued. “They are both in very bad shape and are recovering at the World Veterinary Service (WVS) facility in Viketi,” she said.
Animal rights activists said they rescue about six to seven dogs each month in Nilgiri because local and other regional breeders had abandoned the animals near forest areas. It was abandoned even before the pandemic, but its frequency has increased in the last year, as many dogs cease to conceive and give birth after about three to four birth cycles, making it unprofitable for breeders.” Nigel Otter of WVS said. Nilgiri.
He said that it is the owner’s responsibility to care for the animals, and because of high abandonment rates, WVS facilities often run out of space to house and care for animals. “People don’t want to adopt older dogs, so it’s difficult to try to adopt them,” Otter said.
Reddy said local governments must register dog owners and breeders and have animals microchipped to identify their owners. “We are a voluntary organization and it is very difficult to raise funds to care for these animals. “We have to ensure that we do,” she said.