At annual dog show, illegal sale of puppies goes unchecked

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 15

Illegal sale of dogs was rampant outside the venue of the annual dog show that returned to the city today after a gap of two years due to the pandemic. While the district administration organised the dog show as part of the Patiala Heritage Festival-2023, dog breeders minted gold and illegally sold pups at and outside the Polo Ground. Some of them were even a month old.

The little pups on sale shivered in the cold and huddled together throughout the day. They were available for takeaway without a proper check.

The breeders charged Rs 18,000 for an American Bully puppy, Rs 5,500 for Pomeranian, Rs 7,000 for Golden Retriever, while the Chow Chow and Tibetan Mastiff fetched Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000, respectively. The male and female dogs fetched different prices. The exorbitant prices dropped by the dusk.

Meanwhile, the district administration said a total of 230 dogs of 40 breeds participated in the dog show. Exhibitors from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and other parts of the country took part in the show.

Patiala IG Mukhwinder Singh Chhina, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney and SSP Varun Sharma were among those present at the dog show.

An inspector at the Department of Animal Husbandry said, “The pups should not be sold in less than 45 days of birth. The first shot of vaccine is administered after 45 days. ”

“People should adopt street dogs instead of spending huge amounts on toy pups,” a dog lover said.

Patiala SDM Ismat Vijay Singh said the district administration was not aware of the illegal sale of pups outside the venue. She said the administration does not propagate illegal sale of dogs and pups. “We did not allow the sale on the Polo Ground premises. The sale is banned as per the Kennel Club of India”, the SDM said.

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