Every Dog has it's Day
But not the ones in India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise mention of Indian breeds of dogs in Mann Ki Baat on 30th August, an Indian radio program hosted by him in which he addresses the people of the nation.
The reality though is that this comes too little too late.
German shepherds, Labradors, Huskies, Beagles, Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Doberman, Dachshund, Mastiff, Great Dane Rottweiler, and the famous Hutch dog: Pug are a common sight in India. But not many have seen or even heard about Chippiparai, Mudhol Hound, Rajapalayam hound, Indian Spitz, Kanni, Kombai, Rampur Greyhound, Kumaon Mastiff, Pandikona, and the famous Pariah Dog.
These indigenous breeds have been facing neglect and are fast disappearing and one pertinent reason the large scale urbanization. Most of these breeds are suited in the wild or with large open spaces and not in apartments. Pet lovers would rather settle for a beagle or a Labrador to keep them company in a crowded apartment space. Despite having friendly breeds there have always been huge objections to people keeping pets in apartments and pet lover often have a difficult time renting places which are pet friendly. Unless you have a fancy gated community where owning a pet is a status symbol the other RWAs ( resident welfare associations ) are almost always hostile to pet owners.
Even if you decide to just feed the Pariahs abandoned on the street out of your love or compassion you stand to irk the residents for reasons only they can explain:
Villagers attack a disabled woman for feeding stray dogs in Khammam | Hyderabad News - Times of India | Pune woman attacked for feeding dogs | Pune News - Times of India | Feeding stray dogs becomes a contentious issue for residents in Noida; pregnant Russian woman attacked
While the fast disappearing Indian breeds is another topic and will not get any boost just because the PM urged the citizens but the reasons why there won't be any change in the status of the Indian dog breeds are very clear: The MONEY INVOLVED
A. The PET CARE market in India is 850 Million plus which compared to the global estimate of $ 125 Billion looks very minuscule but is still substantial. 75% of this $850 M comes just from Pet food.
B. Around $90 Million approximately is the Pet Pharma with around $120 Million attributed to Petcare & accessories.
C. Mars International, which sells dog food brands Pedigree and Royal Canin in India, entered the market here in 2000 and has more than 50 percent market share in the space. The pet food industry is estimated to be Rs 1,700 crore and growing at a healthy rate of 15 percent CAGR.
D. The breeding of these foreign breeds ( both legal and illegal) is a huge business and brings in millions of dollars every year.
There are around 19 million pets in India, 80% of this is Dogs followed by cats and then a very small percentage of birds and other pets like fish.
Most of the Petcare Industry ( food and care ) revolves around the Non-Indian breed because they are high maintenance and require special care. The Indian breeds on the contrary hardly require maintenance and any specific dietary requirements. This isn’t anything new, territorial acclimatization is how we have survived in our specific regions for eons. This applies as much to animals and trees as to humans.
The market for Dogs alone is worth millions with pups costing anywhere between Rs 10,000 to Rs 10,00,000 in some cases. The Indian breeds are mostly confined to the streets and neglected or in villages where they are loyal hunters, protectors, and a part of the family.
Stray dogs as the Indian Pariah dogs are often referred to are often terminated, most of the time in batches by people who either have had a bad experience with them or simply because they feel they are a nuisance or JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT. Remember Students of Medicine Gautam Sudharsan and Ashish Pal from MGR Medical University who threw a five months old Pup from their two-story terrace JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT and also shot a video of it, they were arrested, immediately released on bail and a massive fine of RS 50 for the act ( NO, I did not miss ay zeros, its Fifty Indian Rupees )
If anyone believes that the reference to the Indian breeds in the PM’s speech is going massively transform people's attitude towards Indian breeds, the strays in general then I think we are all living in a fool's paradise. In the meantime, there are people like Pratima Devi a rag picker in Delhi who takes care of 400 Strays as her own without waiting for a speech or report on how to save the INDIAN BREED.