Tolinton Market: Buyers, sellers and the unhappy animals

If you keep pets at home, then you have probably heard of the Tolinton Market in Lahore.

Located in Shadman, Tolinton Market is a place for pet lovers who wish to purchase or sell animals for a very low price. There is a variety of animals that are easily available in a single location, from dogs, cats, birds to chickens and rabbits. The only concern for any pet lover should be that the place is a purgatory for those poor animals.

While crossing the market, the putrid smell of animal hides permeating the atmosphere makes it difficult for the passersby to breathe.

The animals are mostly kept in cages and the sounds of their cries are impossible to ignore.

Pakistan Today questioned the stakeholders in this business to learn their stance on the living conditions of the animals.

LIVING CONDITIONS, VACCINATION:

Hassan Dilawer owns two shops in the market and sells both cats and dogs. He said that the puppies in his shop are at least a month old.

“Weaning a baby from the mother’s milk is necessary because the puppies start growing teeth and the mother abandons them. To wean them off mother’s milk we feed them a diet of ‘Cerelac’, milk with bread or boiled chicken, at least, twice a day,” Dilawar said.

“We avoid over-feeding puppies to prevent them from getting sick and clean their cages daily. However, the dogs are not vaccinated because they are usually sold at a young age and then it’s the responsibility of the owner to get them vaccinated.”

Discarded pieces of chicken meat were scattered on the floor, right next to the cages of cats. Dilawar said that he does not own a kennel and at closing time, the animals remain in their cages and are kept inside the shop with the shutter down.

“People come here with dogs that have been stolen but we refuse to buy any animals without documents.”

While Dilawar claimed that his dogs are perfectly healthy, he received a call from a customer who was complaining that a dog purchased from his shop only a few days ago was suffering from an illness.

“We get lots of customers who want to either purchase a dog or sell one. The ideal condition is to keep only six to seven puppies in the shop because it becomes a hassle to care for such young animals,” said Ali Akbar, who is also a shop owner.

Mix breed dogs are called “B-class” or “working-class” dogs and are sold at lower prices.

“We purchase older dogs as well, but we are not responsible for their vaccination. It’s preferred that the buyer or seller vaccinates their dog, or else they don’t survive,” Ali Akbar said.

“It is easy to detect the symptoms of a rabid dog, so we don’t purchase one. We take our dogs for fifteen minutes walk every day after feeding them, then bring them back to the shop, tie them up with a leash and they remain here all night until the next working day.”

“The main problem is that cats and dogs are kept beside a place where chickens are slaughtered. The place is unhygienic and filled with germs and diseases. The most common diseases among dogs are Parvovirus and Canine distemper.”

Ali boxer, another shopkeeper said he owned around 20 dogs but not all were kept inside his shop. He claimed that the puppies were purebred; however, one could simply tell by looking at them that they were not.

He claimed that the one-month-old puppies were vaccinated against rabies and other diseases.

Another shop was solely dedicated to the sale and purchase of cats. Shoaibul-Rehman, the owner said that cats and dogs should not be kept near each other. The cats endure extreme stress due to fear, which sometimes results in their death.

“Around two to three cats in these shops die on a daily basis,” Shoaib said.

Ubaidullah, a customer was surveying the market to find a suitable place to sell his cat. “We find it more convenient to sell our pet through this medium. The shopkeeper said that our cat could be sold for Rs 5,000.”

“The shopkeeper informed us that pets are purchased on a sale or return basis. This is why we are reluctant to leave our cat here until it is sold. They do not take responsibility for the death of animals in this case.”

Another customer said he has never had a bad experience with a purchase, “However, it is up to us to find out if the bird is sick or not.”

“I call up my friends and ask if they are aware of any birds for sale. I also check online websites, but those sources often turn out to be unreliable. I prefer coming here because there is a lot of variety in the market.”

According to Dr Asim Khalid Mehmood, an associate professor at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, “the weaning age for puppies is ideally eight weeks. The puppies are completely dependent on the mother for nutrition. People who keep dogs as pets often keep the puppies with the mother for over three months, during which the puppies wean off mother’s milk naturally and gradually shift towards other foods.”

“In case of early separation from the mother, puppies should either be kept under the care of a foster mother or feed on artificial milk,” Dr Asim said.

“Vaccination begins at six weeks and then the series of shots are completed until 16 weeks of age as per internationally recommended standards.”

“The vaccinations are necessary to counter the most common and deadly diseases in dogs. Parvovirus is the most common virus resulting in a fatality and stays in the infected area for at least six months. The place needs to be cleaned with bleach in order to get rid of the germs causing such diseases.”

LACK OF HYGIENE, SPREAD OF DISEASE:

“In places like Tolinton Market, these diseases are always present in the environment. Since the animals are kept so close to each other, it is easily possible for one infected dog to spread the virus to other animals.”

Dr Asim said that the customers are not informed of the dogs’ condition, which means that there is a high chance that the dog may die by the time the new owner is able to detect the symptoms.

“Tolinton Market is so polluted that the whole atmosphere is filled with germs and disgusting odour. Keeping dogs tied up all day or locked in a cage has negative effects on their physical growth and mental stability.”

“The most important thing is to maintain hygienic conditions and prevent the sale of young puppies and kittens. Overcrowding of animals and keeping cats near dogs should also be avoided.”

“I believe that if the people involved in this business are educated and informed about the necessary hygienic standards, it is possible that there will be an immense change in the living conditions of animals, which may have a positive impact on their business also.”

“Vaccinations are costly; hence, it is better if hygienic standards are maintained.”

“There are many activists who are working to protect animals but they are only working on individual level,” Dr Asim said.

RESPONSIBILITY OF SELLERS, BUYERS AND THE GOVT:

Dr Wasim Yaqoob, a lecturer at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, said that the problem is that there are no laws in the country which protect animals from such conditions.

“We need to have regulations to ensure the safety of these animals,” he said, and added, “The main stakeholder, in this case, is the government. They need to develop laws that specify the conditions which need to be met in order to run this business.”

“The standard worldwide is that a dog should be vaccinated against rabies at the age of three months.”

“An adult dog should be kept in an open area of at least 6×6 feet. The dog should not be tied with a leash for longer periods. Outsiders coming from places where chickens have been slaughtered should not be allowed to enter that area,” Dr Wasim said.

It is not just the responsibility of shopkeepers but also the customers, to ensure that the animals are kept in sanitary conditions.

“People need to follow ethics and care for life. The shop owners need to be made aware of the negative effects of unhygienic conditions on the animals,” said Dr Wasim.