Government bans dog import, pedigrees to cost more

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: Getting a pedigreed dog could soon cost you more as the government has banned the import of dogs for breeding or any other commercial activity, a move welcomed by animal rights groups.
Under the notification issued by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on Monday, import of dogs will only be allowed for defence and police forces, R&D organisations for conducting research and people getting pet dogs into India with a valid pet book and other relevant documents in the name of the importer.
"We commend DGFT for this historic ban which will prevent the suffering of thousands of dogs. Our shelters are inundated with abandoned foreign breed dogs mainly because the owners have poor understanding of the breed's requirements," said Gauri Maulekhi, consultant with Humane Society International-India and a People for Animals trustee.
The top five pedigrees in demand in India are German shepherd, Rottweiler, Labrador, Dobermann and pug. Except for Pug puppies whose demand has dipped after beagles entered Indian homes, the other breeds are priced Rs 20,000 upwards. Now each such pup could get dearer by Rs 3,000-5,000, breeders say.
Kennel Club of India secretary C V Sudarshan said seeing import of pedigree breeds as a commercial activity is unfair. "Breeders do it for passion," he said. Breeders feel the ban order is a reaction to recent newspaper reports about a Bengaluru-based breeder who spent Rs 2 crore to get two Korean Mastiff puppies. "Such people are commercial breeders. You cannot penalize all breeders," said Sudarshan.
Chennai-based dog breeder Prakash Prem said the price of the popular breeds in India would go up by a few thousand rupees. "Those who do it like a cottage industry, known as 'puppy mills', will benefit from the new order," he said.
However, NGOs such as HSI and PFA, which had urged the government to impose the ban, argued that the proliferation of foreign breeds was resulting in a rise of the street-dog population as many pedigreed dogs were ending up on the roads. Many foreign breeds also suffered in the Indian heat, they said.
"Certain breeds like St Bernard, Tibetan mastiffs, pit bulls and Rottweilers should be banned instead of preventing the import of breeds that can acclimatize themselves to the Indian weather," said Naresh Kohli, owner of Jaws n Paws in Delhi's Chanakyapuri.