Dog breeding usually known as puppy mills is a vast growing industry. Puppy mills repeatedly impregnate the female dogs that live in a cage; it is an inhuman act of breeding where earning profit is the main motto. Dogs are forced to breed and once they are no use, they are killed or abandoned. After years of campaigning by animal welfare organisations, the government has stepped in to tackle some of the animal cruelty issues associated with commercial dog breeding. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017 were notified into law by the Ministry of Environment & Forests at the end of May 2017.
This will help to stop the cruelty on dogs as well. According to the new rule and regulation-
- Every breeder must have a certificate of registration, issued after an inspection by the Animal Welfare Board of India, and renewable every two years. Also the Animal Welfare Board now has the right to inspect any breeding business without any specific reason.
- Another big decision under this rule is that the pups cannot be sold under the age of eight weeks. It is seen through various studies that puppies grow social anxiety if separated from their mother in tender age.
- The new rules explicitly state that breeders should not display dogs in public places for immediate sale, which gives them time to counsel the purchasers to ensure they can take proper care of the dog.
- The new rule also requires the breeder to maintain records of every dog including the breeding one. This will reduce the abandon of the female breeding dog by the breeder.
- Breeders must now rehabilitate pups not sold within six months via an animal welfare organisation. They must also maintain a full record of the number of dogs who are born, or die, in their care. A veterinary doctor must record the cause of death, after conducting a post-mortem examination.
We are not aware of this fact but pedigree dogs have a range of genetic issues due to generations of selective breeding. Therefore JBF always encourage dog lovers to go for adoption of local breed than buying inbreed dogs. This new regulations are hopefully going to work practically also. Therefore, if you plan to buy a pedigree dog from the shop, ask the breeder if he has the valid licence or not.
