Citizens prefer to adopt Indies instead of pedigrees

PUNE: The citizens have slowly started opting to adopt Indian dog breeds, a large population of which includes stray dogs.
Be it a newborn Indie pup, an abandoned dog or an injured one, Punekars are open to adopting them.
Swarada Deshpande of Sinhagad Animal Welfare Charitable Trust said the city is experiencing a cultural change and is becoming more accepting of Indian dog breeds.“Many people are learning from experiences shared by those who have Indies on social media and other platforms and thus getting encouraged to adopt Indies themselves. I have a friend who adopted an Indie that can see with only one eye. My friend is an avid trekker and the Indie has completed all treks with her. Such stories are attracting more people towards adopting Indies,” she said.
The trust, which holds adoption camps regularly, only puts up Indies for adoption. “Around 50% of the pups or dogs at the adoption camps are successfully adopted. We counsel people and make them aware of the difference between Indie dogs and pedigree dogs. We tell them about the immunity issues, maintenance costs and the rate at which people are abandoning pedigree dogs as they cannot maintain them. We tell them to not buy a dog, but instead adopt a family member,” Deshpande said.
A citizen Kavita Haware found Daisy during one such adoption camp. “I was volunteering at an adoption camp when I saw a white pup with black spots on her. She looked so scared. I had no plans of adopting dogs but I couldn’t resist. I have had dogs in the past and seeing how street dogs are mistreated, my heart goes out to them. I live in a two-bedroom house and that is my only constraint. Otherwise I would adopt more Indies,” she said.
Haware said Indies are as loving as any other breed and deserve a home too. “Indies are also easier to maintain. They adapt better than pedigree dogs. A lot of people are now coming forward to take home Indies, either from adoption camps or even from the streets,” Haware said.
Sandhya Tewari, the trustee of Tails ‘N’ Trees, an organization working for stray dogs, said, “Social media and sensitization among people regarding the cruelty pedigree dogs endure at breeding centres are among the main reasons people are opting to adopt Indies. If someone wants to bring home a pedigree, I will first request them to visit a breeding centre to see the situation of the dogs.”