Dog racing emerges as new Maha craze, activists cry foul
PUNE-BASED ACTIVIST MANOJ OSWAL SAID THE SUPREME COURT HAS RULED THAT USING ANIMALS FOR RACING IS A VIOLATION OF THE PCA ACT AND THEREFORE, IT CANNOT BE PERMITTED IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
nKOLHAPUR:IT’S Sunday, February 23 – race day at the annual Umalwad village festival in Shirol taluka of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. The excitement is palpable. Dog races are the new, new thing in the western part of the state and greyhounds, Punjab hounds, and Mudhol hounds are expected to run this one.
At the race itself, the swagger of participating dog owners sets them apart from the spectators. The track is 200 metres long and curved; part tar, and part mud. The dogs have to run up and down. At the halfway mark, before they turn, they are marked with a green liquid to ensure they don’t run again.
The semi-urban Satara, Karad, Sangli and Kolhapur regions of western Maharashtra are abuzz with a new animal sport — dog racing. After bullock cart racing, hunting, and snakecatching (all local favourites) were banned, the locals have found a new source of entertainment.
“At least one ‘shwaan (dog) race’ has been held every day for the past several months now. I’m called as a time-keeper to at least one, sometimes even two, three races every day. I use the timer used for sprints to record the time. One person from the organisation [managing the race] and one from the dog owners’ side sit with me and monitor the time,” said Akshay Davane, 23, a resident of Umalwad village.
There are two formats. The first, track racing, is borrowed from Punjab (which, in turn, borrowed it from the United States of America), which has its own Greyhound Racing Board. Two dogs chase a mechanical lure.
In the second format, every participating dog runs behind a motorbike with its owner as either the rider or the pillion rider.
The timing of each dog is also recorded individually. The second format has created another specialisation – riders.
“The rider is pivotal to the race. I’m a rider and we are available at the racing venue if the owner of the dog is not adept at riding,” said Dheeraj Shinde, 29, a local farmer who is one of the two self-proclaimed pioneers of greyhound racing in Shirol. Some riders also have dogs. Sunil Nigade, 34, owns a four-year-old Punjab hound named Waghi.
The races are advertised through Whatsapp groups and participants say there is no gambling involved. “There are no hoardings or posters. The messages are relayed through Whatsapp groups on a large scale,” said Vijay Shinde, 30, a resident of Danoli village of Shirol.
Maharashtra does not have a registered greyhound racing body such as the one in Punjab. The prize money is directly proportional to the number of greyhounds showing up for the race and could vary from four to 30. There is no entry fee, but dog owners must confirm their participation in advance.
With dog racing growing in popularity over the past couple of years, there are now breeders who are well-known in the local racing circles.
However, Pune-based activist Manoj Oswal said, “Animal races are illegal as per section 11 (1) (a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act. Several judgements have been passed stating the same. The Supreme Court also ruled that using animals for racing is a violation of the PCA Act and therefore, they cannot be permitted in any circumstances. The races are also violation of Section 74 of Bombay Police Act and other police acts.”
In 2016, Maharashtra repealed the Maharashtra Dog Racecourses Licensing Act, making dog-racing illegal. Yogesh Pathak, 40, a greyhound breeder from Shamgaon village, Karad taluka of Satara district, said, “I’m a farmer and greyhounds are excellent guard dogs.” In fact, despite their size, greyhounds are easily frightened and do not make great guard dogs.
Dr Anil Patil, a Kolhapurbased veterinarian doctor and the a go-to doctor for most greyhound owners in the area, said, “When children get hurt in sports, people ignore their injuries. Greyhounds are like children. If you treat it like a sport, there are similar injuries that are easily treatable.”