• Tails of Freedom Founder Shilpa Samaratunge on the abandonment of pets due to owners’ migration

In recent years, Sri Lanka has witnessed a dramatic shift in the world of pet ownership. A decade ago, the island nation had a relatively small community of purebred animal enthusiasts. Breeding was a specialised endeavour, undertaken by a selected few with a genuine passion for these animals. Fast forward to today, and the landscape has transformed. Pets are now supplied on demand, and anyone, with little thought to the consequences, can acquire a pedigree dog or cat. As a result, the increase in pedigree dogs being left behind due to migration, driven by factors such as economic turmoil and the global pandemic, has given rise to a host of challenges.

In the midst of this evolving pet culture stands Tails of Freedom (ToF), a registered organisation with a mission to rescue, rehabilitate, rehome, and advocate for purebred companion animals in Sri Lanka. Founded as a response to the surge in abandoned purebred animals and the cruelty they face, ToF has been at the forefront of change.

Shilpa Samaratunge, the founder of ToF, shared her insights with The Daily Morning on their journey and the pressing issues they grapple with. She noted that the economic crisis and migration have led to numerous requests for rehoming pedigree pets. However, ToF’s primary concern remains the fate of those left on the streets or trapped in neglectful homes. Pedigree animals, ill-equipped to survive in the harsh street environment, face dire consequences.

Can you provide an overview of the current situation regarding the increase in pedigree dogs being left behind due to migration, and how it relates to your organisation’s mission?

ToF is a registered organisation dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming, and advocacy of purebred companion animals in Sri Lanka, found abandoned or removed from situations of extreme cruelty.

Since Covid-19 followed by the economic crisis, there’s been a massive number of people either migrating or unable to care for their pedigree dogs/cats due to rising costs and falling incomes.  Many requests for rehoming have come to us; unfortunately, we have only been able to guide people on how to rehome their pets, as our more pressing concern has been the number of animals left on the street or kept neglected in homes. 

The situation as it stands is that there are many animals looking for homes because their families are migrating, however, there are just as many dumped on the street due to owners leaving or not being able to care for the animals. This is always our priority as pedigree animals do not survive on the street for long.

Some others are being sold and ending up in homes where they are exploited or neglected their entire lives. 

Sadly, we cannot keep up with the need at the moment, and our focus at the moment is trying to keep the most abused and sick animals safe and alive. 

Sri Lanka has no clear boundaries between a pet in a home, a backyard breeder, and a puppy mill. Most families can fall into one or more than one of these categories. So we have been approached by families migrating, but also puppy mills who have had many breeding animals in the past but now need to give them up.

How has Tails of Freedom adapted its efforts to address the challenges posed by the rising number of abandoned pedigree dogs during migration?

We have a larger team now – however it is nowhere near enough to address the need around us. We have created a guide for people looking to rehome their dogs and plan to translate it, however, as mentioned this is a small drop in the ocean. 

What are some of the unique challenges that arise when trying to find new homes or care for abandoned pedigree dogs compared to mixed-breed or street dogs?

Exploitation: This is the biggest issue faced by these animals. We have found people unwilling to sterilise their animals before they are rehomed and many get used for breeding or taken in by new homes with the hope of using the animal. There have been many instances where once loved pets, end up in cages producing pups and kittens, while the original family have no idea what is happening. 

Neglect: some people leave their animals to people who realistically can’t care for a pedigree animal. Some leave funds behind which quickly get used by the people, while the animals no longer get fed or cared for properly. Some others send regular funds which don’t always get used for the purpose it is sent. Others don’t leave anything at all, and the animals suffer massively, without adequate food or suitable veterinary care. 

Behaviour: Most people do not socialise or raise their animals in a way that they can be integrated into a new household, and not all behaviour is suitable or accepted at all homes. Many animals who are poorly socialised end up in cages for the remainder of their lives in their new home or get passed around from house to house, which only serves to unsettle them further and exacerbate the issue.  

Do you believe that the increase in abandoned pedigree dogs has any impact on the adoption rates of street dogs? If so, how does this influence the dynamics of animal adoption?

When given the choice between a local breed and a pedigree – most people in Sri Lanka will choose a breed, despite not always having the ability or the knowledge to care for them. In a space where there are too many companion animals and not enough homes, this poses a problem for local breed dogs’ adoptions. 

Can you elaborate on any success stories where Tails of Freedom was able to make a positive difference in the lives of abandoned pedigree dogs, and how this aligns with your organisation’s overall goals?

To us, every animal we manage to rescue and rehome is a success story. For us at Tails it has never been about numbers, it is doing what we can to the best of our abilities, and placing these once traumatised animals in homes that are suited to them. Quantity is never our focus. 

All animals that come through us get vaccinated and sterilised before they are placed in homes. We have an extensive interview process and follow-ups to ensure the animals go to the best homes possible.

An ideal home is one which understands the particular breed and is able to offer them a home best suited to those needs and is able to handle any medical condition that may arise, particularly as they age. We look for homes that do not cage or tether animals and allow their animals to be inside their home with access to a garden. For many animals that come from breeding situations such as puppy mills these placements are the first time, they experience freedom of movement as many live their entire life in a cage until the point of rescue. 

Every success story is one that also goes on to create awareness. While we can and do speak to people to create awareness about the issues faced by breeds, just one adopted dog can sometimes make a bigger impact. Their stories touch people more than any lecture ever could. We have had many families who have adopted from us once, come back to adopt another or people who meet our rescues who later tell us they never knew the extent of the problem and would not buy again now that they do know. 

Our overall goals revolve around better homes and welfare for these animals, and better laws to improve their welfare. So every one of these stories and every animal we manage to help is a step forward for us. 

Looking forward, what do you envision as potential solutions to mitigate the challenges posed by the abandonment of pedigree dogs during migration, and how can individuals or communities contribute to these solutions?

The most important measure we need is for regulations to be brought in with regards to breeding. Without any regulations we have far too many breeding animals with genetic issues as well as far too many animals being sold. This means that everyone regardless of their ability to care for an animal is able to purchase one. Strict regulations and licensing are incredibly important with appropriate fines to control breeding and imports of companion animals. 

While this doesn’t directly address the issue of abandonment due to migration – it would help reserve more homes for animals that need homes. 

Additionally, more awareness on how to be a responsible pet parent would help make placements easier when absolutely necessary.