Noida: Everyone prefers a Lab, no takers for desi dogs - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Noida: Everyone prefers a Lab, no takers for desi dogs

Hindustan Times | By, Noida
Sep 25, 2017 09:58 PM IST

Indian mongrels usually have a life span of 5-6 years. However, some tend to live for more than 14 years as well.

According to animal activists in Noida, stray dogs or the ‘Indian Mongrel’ breed is prone to maximum abuse and disdain from residents and public.

An Indian mongrel dog at Noida shelter for animals.(Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)
An Indian mongrel dog at Noida shelter for animals.(Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Commonly known as ‘bhoora’, or ‘sheru’ or ‘bahadur’, these dogs are increasingly rejected by dog lovers who prefer foreign breeds.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Hindustan Times spoke to two animal experts who run a shelter for ‘stray, abandoned and injured animals’ in the city, who claimed that mongrels are increasingly becoming vulnerable due to common misconceptions about them.

Sanjay Mahapatra, an animal lover in Noida who runs a shelter, House for Stray Animals, at Sector 94, claims that he has not met a single citizen who wanted to adopt a mongrel. Mahapatra has over 50 dogs and he is running a makeshift shelter in his home for the past 10 years.

“I get so many visitors who are looking for foreign breeds such as Labrador and Mastif. I try to convince them that if they want to adopt a dog, then they should go for mongrels but they don’t want Indian dogs because, for them, getting a dog is a mark of social stature. They want to flaunt their pet first and love it later,” Mahapatra said.

Similar claims have been made by Vidhi Shukla, in charge of Noida’s shelter for stray and injured animals in Sector 94.

“We have around 700 stray dogs that have been abandoned or were found in an injured state. Until now, we have not found a single person who wants to adopt these dogs,” Shukla said.

Indian mongrels usually have a life span of 5-6 years. However, some tend to live for more than 14 years as well.

According to animal lovers, adopting an Indian dog is the most convenient and economical option for those who are looking for a pet.

“Today, buying a foreign breed can easily cost one somewhere around Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000. Even if one buys one, the next thing they have to do is to take it to a veterinary doctor for regular checkups. Compared to these expenses, a mongrel comes free of cost and it doesn’t require much medical attention. Its food needs are pretty basic and they are most adapted to the Indian climate,” Mahapatra explained.

Another animal lover, Vikas Dhall, who is a volunteer at the animal shelter, says,“Mongrels have the best immunity as we have seen in this shelter as well. They have very basic needs.”

In the recent past, several residents welfare associations in Noida have complained about the menace of stray dogs and have regularly vouched for their sterilization.

Mahapatra believes that the hatred for mongrels is due to common misconceptions among people.

“These dogs are well-trained and they are extremely polite towards humans. No one is bothered to find out about the everyday torture these innocent animals face, sometimes by mischievous children and, at times, these attacks are planned. They react only when they are forced to do so,” Mahapatra said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Vaibhav Jha reports on education, health and residents welfare association in Noida and Greater Noida. As a reporter in HT’s Jaipur bureau, he wrote extensively on issues such as atrocities on Dalits and saffronization of education.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On