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Behind the doors of backyard breeding 

30 Aug 2021

BY Dulki Seethawaka  After seeing an adorable Golden Retriever or a German Shepard puppy, people often end up wanting a pet dog without considering the story behind its birth or the responsibilities that come along with owning a pet dog. Pedigree dogs (every other breed of dogs except the local street dogs of Sri Lanka) are bred by private owners who are called backyard breeders. They raise dogs in their homes and once the puppies are born, they are either sold after advertising on social media, newspapers, posters near veterinary hospitals or via pet shops.  The normal practice is, when the female dog gives birth, the owner of the male dog gets the choice to select one puppy of the litter which he sells. The remaining puppies are sold by the owner of the female dog, though it is not clear if the owners of the male dog and female dog share the amount or not. However, the real situation is not so simple and the sorrowful living conditions of such dogs who are victims of backyard breeding remain hidden from the world.  The tragedy behind backyard breeding  At present, breeding pedigree dogs has become a door-to-door business. Many such breeders convince other people to engage in this method of finding quick money. This is favoured since the price of pedigree puppies has risen over the past few years. Different breeds have different values, of which some are highly unreasonable. For example, a Siberian Husky which is gaining huge attention from dog breeders, costs around Rs. 200,000.  When it is nothing but a source of income, the emotional well-being of such dogs is neglected, which is disheartening. Dogs are specially considered as highly intelligent and sensitive animals who depend on their owners to a great extent. But the dogs at breeding farms are not fortunate enough to have either positive physical well-being or the emotional care that is required. They never experience love, care or freedom. They do not get adequate food or exercise. For instance, there was a recent incident where a backyard breeder who owned five Pit bulls had left the house, and during his absence, for days, which was more than he anticipated, four dogs had killed one female dog and eaten her carcass. The case is being heard at the Magistrate’s Court in Negombo.  Even though not all, many such breeding dogs live under dreadful conditions where they are mistreated and abused. They live in unhygienic cages, imprisoned for their entire life while giving birth to litters of puppies one after the other. People never bother about the health conditions of such dogs. When the parent dogs are not given enough nutrients and medical checkups, the puppies end up having various chronic illnesses. In the end, when such dogs are old and cannot breed any more, they are either abandoned or euthanised by the owners.  In the harshest sense, the female dogs are considered to be raped, because she is not given the choice. There are incidents where the pedigree female dog gets crossed with a local dog by accident, and uterine flushing is carried out to ensure that she does not get pregnant with the local breed. Some of these serious surgical procedures can endanger the life of the dog, especially given the fact that the medical facilities for dogs in Sri Lanka are still not that advanced. Also, there are incidents where the female dog is forced to breed with a puppy of her own. Such situations bring about severe health complications to the puppies that are born out of such instances of mother-son incestuous breeding.  With the breeding of puppies expanding into a business, the breeders have turned into scammers. When dogs are forced to give birth continuously, not only does the health of the parent dogs deteriorate, but also the puppies that are born with each such litter become weaker. The puppies end up having various weak skin conditions, and are prone to diseases like cancer, vision and hearing impairments and hip dislocation, only to name a few. The breeders never tell which litter of puppies they are selling and often lie that it is the first litter, which usually has the healthiest puppies. The new owners of such weak and unhealthy puppies, end up going through various troubles. If they do not have the experience of caring for dogs previously or the money to spend for the necessary treatments, it is most likely that the poor animal will have to pay the price with its life.  There are also cases where mixed breeds are crossed together. Once again, this could result in having serious repercussions. There is no guarantee as to how such experimental breeding can have long-term effects on the lives of both the parent dogs and the puppies which are born. The owners should not only care about the appearance of such dogs and do it for the sake of money, they must consider facts such as the life span, genetic differences and the health conditions of such a breed.  Pedigree dogs vs. local dogs  A dog is a dog, no matter what breed it belongs to. Their love will be unconditional and they will be with you during the best and worst occasions. The local dogs compared to pedigree dogs are much more accustomed to simple living conditions. They are known for having tough lives. They do not need complex and luxurious food choices; they are happy with what you give them. Local dogs are used to the warm weather conditions in the country. Their health conditions are not as delicate as pedigree dogs.  But, the lifestyle and health conditions of pedigree dogs are very different from the local dogs. At present, some breeds which are found in Sri Lanka, are not even suited for the humid weather conditions of the country. The examples are breeds such as Siberian Husky and Saint Bernard, which are found in countries with extreme cold weather and snow. But these are imported and bred in Sri Lanka, which is a tropical country.  Maintaining and caring for a pedigree dog is not a simple task. They have special food needs, require frequent medical checkups, exercises, attention, care and freedom. They are prone to various skin illnesses because they have long fur and need daily vitamins to maintain their skin and coats. If they are not given the food which supplements their daily nutritional needs, they can either get malnutrition or obesity. They need freedom to roam around and do exercises to maintain their health. They must be trained not to attack people, especially for aggressive breeds such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Doberman Pinschers.  Most importantly, they need attention from their owners and they must not be caged round the clock. Attention of the owners means, the owner must know when the dog is not eating, if it is depressed or happy, if it is sick or not, if it has got skin rashes, if it has got ticks and fleas, how to brush and trim its coat, what steps should be taken if it is sick, what first aid must be given if it meets with an accident and when its nails should be cut, and many other requirements. Basically, it is similar to looking after a child, but in this instance, your dog cannot say what is wrong with it but you must know it so well that you can recognise if there are any changes in the behaviour. The dogs that are in the care of backyard breeders hardly receive any of these.  How does the law of the country regulate backyard breeding?  Unfortunately, the existing legal framework in Sri Lanka does not specifically address backyard breeding. Section 2(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance as amended provides some protection which can be interpreted broadly to accommodate any relative concerns. It specifies that any person who abuses, does any act or omission which causes unnecessary pain or suffering to any animal shall be guilty of an offence and shall be punished with a fine which may extend to Rs. 100 or imprisonment which may extend up to three months or both. Under Section 3, the manager of the owner of any animal who is found in any place suffering pain by reason of starvation, mutilation, or other ill treatment, will also be subject to the aforementioned penalties.  It is absolutely clear that the prevailing law in the country is outdated and does not provide necessary protection for such animals in breeding farms. The fines are not adequate, but rather can cause any person to engage in this business without any concerns. The outdated law applicable to backyard breeding is another reason why the Animal Welfare Bill should be implemented.  Section 34 of the Bill clearly states that unlawful breeding or trading as a business is strictly prohibited and can be carried out only after obtaining a valid licence. Thereby, under Section 35, the fine has been increased to not exceed Rs. 25,000 with imprisonment of less than one year. A licence will mandate the breeders to adhere to some requirements and there will be an authority which will grant the licences only upon fulfilling the requirements. Such authority will inspect the premises and if there is evidence of cruelty, the breeders can be made liable for an offence. Hence, this is a significant development which must be implemented as soon as possible.  Why is the spaying and neutering of dogs important?  A common belief in backyard breeders is that the dogs must not be neutered and spayed. It is not only a grave sin to interfere in this natural process, but it also creates serious health issues for the dogs. They are convinced that not caring for the dog and making it a puppy machine is not a sin, or does not have any health concerns, but that the neutering and spaying of dogs is a bigger issue. But this does not give them permission to breed puppies and sell them.  Also, according to Buddhism, the trading in living beings must be avoided. This means that selling pet animals is also not accepted in the religious teachings of Buddhism. Some people argue that it is a sin to spay and neuter dogs according to the religion, which is correct. But if so, the religion also prohibits selling such animals to other people. If pedigree puppies are to be given away for free, will people still be breeding them?  Some veterinary surgeons advise that a dog must be crossed at least once in her/his lifetime before being spayed or neutered. Even though the exact medical and scientific basis behind this is not clear, if dogs are not spayed and neutered, there can be several outcomes if they are not given the opportunity to breed. They become heat stressed and depressed, and changes in behaviour may occur such as refusing to eat, howling, digging, and aggressiveness in male dogs.  Also, when an unspayed dog goes into heat, usually its uterine lines swell to prepare for pregnancy. If this swelling persists even after the heat cycle has completed and become infected, a condition known as pyometra can occur, which is a serious uterine infection that can be fatal. Furthermore, unneutered male dogs run away from home in search of a female dog. In such situations, they would get into fights with other dogs, get bitten and even killed in such fights or in road accidents. Therefore, whether it is a pedigree dog or a local dog, unless they are bred, it is quite advisable that they need to be spayed or neutered for the sake of their healthy and happy life.  Whether the dog must be spayed, neutered or bred is a choice of its owner. What is unacceptable is the fact of being forced to breed for puppies. What is unethical is the process the adult dogs have to go through if they are owned by such backyard breeders who want nothing but to make money out of it. This is not a matter which needs to be regulated by the law. This is not an issue for the animal activists and animal rights organisations. This should be a concern of the owner of the dog. They must be humane enough to ensure that their dogs are not subject to mistreatment and abuse. They must be empathetic towards the dogs that depend on them, rather than trying to earn money.  The mistake is not only with the breeders. Owners breed puppies because people buy pedigree puppies. This is the reason why it is becoming so popular since it can be an easy way of making money while being at home. With every sale of a pedigree dog, such scamming backyard breeders are encouraged to breed more dogs and mistreat them. Being a dog lover does not mean that only pedigree dogs should be loved and cared for. There are so many dogs in the streets that are waiting for a helping hand and a home. Rather than buying a new pedigree puppy, adopting or rescuing a dog which can either be a pedigree or a local stray dog that is abandoned, can be more meaningful and a greater deed.  (The writer is an Attorney-at-Law and environmental researcher)


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