The Indian Army’s growing interest in Mudhol hounds has pushed up their brand value among animal lovers, and in turn, helped the families of breeders escape the cycle of poverty.

The Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) of the Army in Meerut has been training Mudhol pups for battle duty and this has increased the demand for the hunting breed from Mudhol and nearby areas of Bagalkot district.

Most of the families of breeders are landless Dalits or tribal families and they have been breeding the hound for generations. The new found interest in the indigenous breed seems to be turning around their fortunes.

Venkappa Navalagi, for instance, has turned prosperous. He earns between ₹5 to ₹7 lakh a year and has built a house for his dogs. His two children are in good schools. “But it was not so always,” he recalls. His father used to hunt rabbits and foxes to feed his children. Neither Venkappa nor his three siblings went to school.

When we were children, I remember bartering a pup for a cup of jowar. After a few years, we sold a couple for ₹10. By the 1990s, we were selling them for ₹800 a pair. Now my pups fetch me ₹10,000 to ₹1 lakh, depending on the bloodline, he said.

The Navalgis have eight dogs and Venkappa’s wife Lakshmi Bai calls them her “children”. A month-old pup sells for ₹10,000 while the adult dog earns up to ₹5,000 for each breeding attempt. A few years ago, Venkappa met with an accident and needed ₹1.5 lakh for a surgery. “Two dogs had 16 pups and helped their father get treatment,’’ says Laksmi Bai.

However, there has been significant government effort behind the spike in prices of the breed. Bidar-based Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) started the Canine Research and Information Centre (CRIC) dedicated to the Mudhol hound in Thimmapur village near Mudhol in 2009. survey indicated that there were over 600 families, 90% of them from SC/ST families, that were making a living out of Mudhol breeding in Bagalkot district.

The university used Rs 3 crore of state government funds to set up the centre under the Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub Plan scheme. Of that, Rs 1 crore was used for infrastructure and the rest was set aside as an endowment to pay the salaries of scientists and staff.

The centre trains farmers in intelligent breeding and to avoid crossing between blood relatives or with nondescript breeds. “This ensures that the litter is purebred and fetches the best prices,” says Mahesh Dodmani, director of the centre. The bloodline certificates issued by the centre have ensured good prices for the pups, he said.

The centre’s scientists take breeders to dog shows in many States and help them build a network with kennel clubs, dog enthusiasts, and pet keepers. The CRIC keeps a database of lineage of dogs. It issues purebred certificates to pups bred by farmers and fixes prices for the dogs that can be sold. CRIC’s website and social media handles create awareness about the hound and create a platform for buyers to meet breeders.

“Setting up of CRIC using SCP /TSP funds has been a fruitful exercise. I can confidently say that the centre’s activities have ensured the welfare of Dalit and tribal families and fulfilled the objective of the funds,” said Suresh Honnappagol, Commissioner, Ministry of Animal Husbandry. Dr. Honnappagol started pushing for recognition to the Mudhol hound when he was the KVAFSU Vice-Chancellor. He added that the signals from the Army were positive about possible induction of the Mudhols into the forces. A final decision is yet to be announced, he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Rishikesh Bahadur Desai / Mudhol – October 20th, 2018