With the organisers of dog shows, under the guise of exhibition, deriving monetary benefit from the animals on many occasions, it is essential to depute a government supervisor to monitor such events.
This has been submitted by the Animal Husbandry Department in a counter to a writ petition by the Madras Canine Club at Shenoy Nagar here. The club sought to restrain the authorities from treating dogs in the shows conducted by it as “performing animals” and obstructing the event.
The Additional Secretary, Animal Husbandry Department, E. Sivagurunathan, said it was correct that the animals in dog shows were not “performing animals.” The counter, filed through the Additional Government Pleader, P.Sanjai Gandhi, said the department played a major role in providing veterinary healthcare through a network of institutions where dogs were also being treated affectionately. Hence, the department should play a supervisory role when such shows were organised, either by government or private parties, so that the dogs’ health throughout the competition may be supervised. The animals brought to the show should be given proper care. The laws which protected the interests and regulated the activities of animals should be implemented. Even to showcase, the dogs’ skills, there was a possibility of forcing the canines to unnecessary pain and suffering.
On many occasions, under the guise of exhibition, organisers tried to derive monetary benefit without considering the health and the pain the animals underwent. Therefore, it is essential to depute government supervisors in the cadre of Veterinary Assistant Surgeon/Assistant Director to monitor the shows, the counter said.
