BENGALURU: Sagnik Ghose adopted Tyche last December, a four-year-old German Shepherd his friend had found on the streets of Jayanagar.
She was malnourished — 17 kg as opposed to other German Shepherds that age that typically weight between 25 and 28 kg — and had maggot wounds.
Tyche could not walk because of a hip problem and her hind legs had shortened due to multiple parturition. Though her health gradually improved, she succumbed to tic fever in a few months.
“She was lovely, caring, extremely affectionate and was never fearful of humans,” says Sagnik.
Such is the brutality of puppy mills. With many Bengalureans turning lovers of exotic breeds, the breeder community has been exploiting both dogs and consumers.
Mandy Vasudevan of Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre and Duma’s Animal Welfare Trust says many cases of animal abuse go unreported. “We rescue about 10 Labradors and five exotic breeds a week,” she says.
A puppy mill is a factory where dogs are bred under harsh conditions — crammed spaces — and fed to a bare minimum.
With high demand for pedigree breeds, breeders pick out the ‘in-passion’ ones — Huskies, Beagles, Labradors, German Shepherds and Rottweilers.
“Puppy mills exist because of the misconception that if you are seen with an exotic breed, your status in society goes up,” says Sagnik.
Puppy mills advertise on various E-commerce sites like Olx and Quikr, and deliver after money is transferred online.
Those buying the dogs do not get to see the pup’s parents which would make it is easier to assess the pup’s health. Sometimes, breeders do not let customers visit the location.
“Female dogs are put to work in their first heat cycle — six to eight months — and during every heat cycle after that,” says Chinthana Gopinath, CUPA volunteer and parent of puppy-mill-rescued beagle Subbu. “If the dogs are unwilling to mate, they are forced into it, which is equivalent to rape.”
Tyche had undergone three to four cycles of brutal breeding. Her blood was infected and she was debarked — her vocal cords were removed.
Puppies, which need at least two months to be weaned away from mother’s milk, are separated from the latter before they complete eight weeks. This leads to behavioural problems and lack of nutrition.
Females from puppy mills have teeth hanging out, and are at high risk of mammary tumours and ovarian cancer.
“I felt a mixture of pain, incredible sadness and rage in Tyche,” says Sagnik.
The males don’t have it easy either, says Chinthana. “But the burden the females bear, with the pregnancy, are far worse.”
Dumbledore was shy and subdued when his parents found him on the streets. “He had a bleeding ear and was badly infected. With a lot of affection, he has recovered well and is no longer scared of his two Indie siblings,” says Lalitha, his parent.
International and exotic breeds such as St Bernards, Siberian Huskies, Korean Mastiffs and Irish Setters, accustomed to temperate climates, are at risk in the tropical Indian climate. They need air conditioning, specific high-price nutrition and more exercise than Indian breeds.
“The recent ban on the import of exotic breeds will create terrible gene pools,” comments Sagnik. Breeders will pay no heed to lineage or genetic disorders that degrade bloodlines, he adds.
Mandy advocates adopting dogs to curb such practices.
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Mills in Bengaluru
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Fraser Town RT Nagar