Hyderabad: Pets are generally considered to lead safer and more privileged lives than stray dogs. However, the reality in some parts of the city tells a different story. In several cases, pet dogs are treated as part of the family only as long as they remain healthy, once they fall ill, many are abandoned and left to survive on their own.Animal rights activists and officials from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) report a rise in the number of pet owners abandoning their animals once they fall ill, leaving their futures uncertain. “It all began during the Covid pandemic, when pet owners, fearing transmission of the virus from animals, started leaving their pets on the streets. While we assumed such cases would decline once the pandemic ended, the numbers have only increased since. Now, owners abandon their pets even when they contract common illnesses,” said a GHMC veterinary officer, citing anonymity.“There are 20–30 animal healthcare hospitals run by the animal husbandry department in the city, all equipped to house and treat these animals. If owners are unwilling to care for their pets when they fall ill, what is the difficulty in taking them to these hospitals instead of abandoning them?” he added. According to city officials and veterinary doctors, while there were barely one or two such cases each year before the pandemic, that number has now risen to over 20 annually. Commonly abandoned breeds include Labradors, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Shih Tzus. The most prevalent illnesses are parvovirus, canine distemper, leptospirosis, and skin infections, all of which are contagious.Ajay Kumar, a veterinary doctor who runs the Happy Pet Clinic in Madhapur, said: “The biggest concern with abandoning these dogs is that many of them carry contagious diseases which can spread to stray dogs as well. Furthermore, the real number could be significantly higher, as many abandoned dogs are never rescued or treated.”“There are also cases where owners give up their pets due to financial constraints,” he added.“Many of these pets are so attached to their families that they take longer to recover from illness. Typically, recovery takes one to two weeks, but in the case of abandoned animals, it can take one to two months. Additionally, prospective adopters often avoid these dogs, citing their previous illnesses, and instead opt for puppies just a few months old,” said Md Javeed, an animal rights activist from the NGO People for Animals.Animal rights activists allege that these abandoned pets often take longer time to respond to treatment and also take longer to be adopted by families
