DogExpress
Recently, the Lashkar police have rescued two Labrador Retriever dogs from an illegal breeder and registered a non-cognizable offence against him. The dogs had been kept in deplorable conditions, squeezed metal cages that could barely hold them.
The breeder, Benedict Joseph, a resident of Hidayatullah road in Bhavani Peth, had been operating without a license, which is mandatory as per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017.
The police said that the dogs had been kept at Joseph’s residence in small cages.
“One of the Labradors was pregnant and barely had enough space in the cage to turn around. The dogs had no food or water when we visited the residence. The leash with which the dogs were tied in the cages was also very short. Hence, a non-cognizable offence has been filed against the accused under the relevant sections of the law,” the officer said.
Senior vice president of the Society for Animal Safety India, Vineeta Tandon, who filed the offence, said that the NGO had earlier received a complaint about illegal breeding around Hidayatullah road.
“We visited the area and collected proof, including phone calls and WhatsApp chats with the breeder. We later submitted the evidence before the Lashkar police station along with a complaint of the violations made by him. In order to operate, breeders need a license from the State Animal Welfare Board, as per the Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, 2017,” Tandon explained.
Tandon further said that the two Labradors were not only kept in cages, but the structures were covered with a blue tarpoline. The size of the cage was barely large enough to fit a Labrador from nose to tail, whereas the law specifically mentions that a cage should be four times larger than the dog, she pointed out.
“The dogs were in a filthy condition, confined, and unable to exercise properly, without social interaction — all in violation of Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The breeder did not have a license. There was no vaccination record of the animals, no medical records, no puppy sale record, among others,” said Tandon.
According to the Animal Welfare Board of India
Breeding and sale of dogs have turned into a high-level commercial venture, involving thousands of breeders and pet shops. This has resulted in several unscrupulous breeders indulging in backyard breeding activity in unhygienic conditions, cruelly exploiting animals for easy money.
Reference: The Times Of India
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in Chandigarh, India. 
