Every so often we have come across stories that do not fall into any category or theme we are following, but still deserve to be mentioned due to their peculiarity in nature. Once such experience was during my stay in Coimbatore, which was due to host the largest dog show in south India. Dog-owners from all over the country come to show off their wares[1], with judges flown in from countries as far as Australia and New Zealand to adjudicate. The canine equivalent of a “Man Hunt” or “Miss India”, this show holds immense importance not only for reasons of pride for their owners, but also due to the prize money involved and subsequent market price in the event of success.
Parallels can be drawn to the rationale behind owning horses – apart from the personal attachment individuals have, they can be significant sources of income if looked after, trained to be fast and strong to win big derbies. Ego games between breeders have seen dogs being imported from countries such as Spain and the UK, specifically for dog shows and then sold on the market if they do well. This is an expensive passion, with maintenance costs considered to be as much as, if not more, than those associated with having an additional child.
There is even a sophisticated market for trading dogs, if your morals permit you to do so. For example, the pup that has been appearing in the Vodafone ads recently, has seen its market price shoot up from Rs. 1,500 to Rs.30,000-Rs.40,000. Talk about return on investment during a recession.
–Mihir
[1] An individual in Pune is known to own close to 550 dogs. Another in Karnataka supposedly hires A/C buses and bodyguards for his dogs
