Why do we prefer English' sounding pet names? Will a dog named 'Thangapoo' be any less than 'Romeo' or 'Nancy'? Perhaps a colonial hangover to the Raj Days when the British introduced exotic dog breeds that made owning such varieties a matter of status and prestige.
Just as our biodiversity in forests has shrunk dangerously low, so too has our biodiversity in the backyard-most of our domestic species of cattle, poultry, and dogs-are endangered and ignored.
India has one of the oldest canine cultures in the world. The first dogs were probably domesticated here during the Mesolithic Period. Unlike foreign breeds, indigenous or local breeds of dogs (and other animals) are hardier, more resistant to illness, and adapt better to the harsh tropical climate and low levels of nutrition. Besides, in a country of wide natural diversity as India, the animals have adapted remarkably to the geographical demands. For example, in dogs, we have the Tibetan Mastiff in the Himalayas, the Rampur Hound in Punjab, and the Rajapalayam, Chippiparai, Kanni, and Kombai- all indigenous breeds of hounds in south Tamil Nadu.
K. Surendran of Contemplate Kennels in Rajapalayam has been a lone crusader to revive interest and spread awareness about the local breeds of dogs. Thanks to his efforts, owning a Rajapalayam is as much a matter of pride as owning a Bull Dog or a Doberman.
Our cover story on indigenous breeds of dogs and the rising menace of stray dogs tell us that we need to rediscover and reclaim our heritage. As Dr. PalaniKumar of the Madurai wing of People for Animals (PFA), a national animal welfare organisation says, "If each of us adopted a stray dog, we will no longer face the menace of an increasing stray dog population." Or as he so sensitively puts it, there will be so "stray dogs" only "community dogs."
Summary
August 2007 Issue
- Editor’s Corner
- Cover Story
- Off the Press
- Issue
- People
- Feature
- Serial Story
- Cinema in the City
- Village Voices