Two unauthorised dog breeding centres were busted in Thiruvananthapuram for keeping the animals in poor and unhygienic conditions. Both centres were running without a license as mandated by the state Animal Welfare Department.
The first kennel was discovered by Parvathy Mohan, a worker of People for Animals, on Sunday after a tip-off was received. The compound for the breeding centre, where the dogs had been held, was situated in Chenthitta in Thiruvananthapuram city and resembled an abandoned area.
Activists from the People for Animals found a malnourished mother dog along, with about five or six puppies. Food waste dumped in the compound was fed to the dogs in an unhygienic old bucket.
According to Parvathy, the kennel is run by Sarath who claimed to be a member of the Kerala Kennel Club. The PFA Thiruvananthapuram chapter filed a police complaint against the centre at the Thampanur police station.
On Monday, another kennel running under similarly poor conditions was found near the Central Railway Station. The centre, run by Ganesan who claimed to be a member of the Kerala Kennel Club, was also busted by PFA workers.
“As of now, the police have given warnings to both of them to make the breeding centres hygienic and to provide basic facilities for the dogs within two days. If not, the dogs will be handed over to animal welfare organisations and the unauthorised breeding centres will be closed. This will be the last warning given to offenders. From next time onwards, we will be moving ahead with legal procedures only,” said Parvathy, the Thiruvananthapuram district coordinator for the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations.
PFA also plans to push the Animal Welfare board to crack down on illegal breeding centres.
"Breeding centres like this are rampant in the city. While there are provisions to safeguard the health and protection of dogs, they are not strictly followed," Parvathy added.
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