Canine Smugglers The Reason For Street Dogs Dwindling In Tripura

AGARTALA: The street dogs that were one of the most neglected and animals around us seem to have suddenly become the most wanted ones. Their number on the roads is dwindling. A few days ago they hit the headlines when East Agartala Police station arrested two persons from Mizoram while smuggling four street dogs from the roads of Agartala. And now reports from the northern sub-divisions of the State like Dharmanagar, Panisagar and Kanchanpur say that the street dogs which once used to crowd the road has become a rare sight now.

Even a few months ago there were a huge number of street dogs in some specific areas of Kailashahar, Kumarghat, Pecharthal, Panisagar and Kanchanpur. People were often attacked by these street dogs. “Such incidences used to create panic among the people of the localities. But for some time now these biting animals have become rare,” said Narayan Nath, a resident of Dharmanagar.

It is a relief for the people as well as matter of concern as everybody is trying to find out where they have gone. It becomes a matter of grave concern for the pet loving people with many of them alleging missing of their domestic dogs and all searches for them becoming futile exercises.

People are totally in dark about where they are going but sources said the main destination of these barking animals is Mizoram where it is considered as a delicious food. Considering it as a health hazard, the Mizoram Government had imposed a ban on the entry of dogs from outside long back. But that too has failed to prevent their movements.

It is learnt that in Mizoram a dog in good health sells at a price of as high as Rs 5,000. It allures many to step into the dog smuggling business and move to the neighbouring States in search of dogs. Tripura is one of them.

Dharmanagar, Panisagar and Kanchnpur became the first target of the dog hunters as these sub-divisions are located adjacent to the Mizoram border; but they are gradually expanding their area of operation to Agartala. A Police officer said similar dog smuggling rackets have been detected in other sub-divisions like Khowai and Kamalpur too.

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