Ernakulam District Jail Dog Breeding Center is a great success

Selling puppies might be the last thing you associate with a prison.

But Ernakulam District Jail has been doing this for a few years through its dog breeding center.

The center became operational with the purchase of three female dogs – a Labrador, a Doberman and a German Shepherd – with sponsorship two years ago. Since then, the center has sold five puppies, while a few have been lost to miscarriage.

“The proceeds from the sale of the puppies are deposited in the treasury. So far, we have incurred more than ₹2 lakh in running expenses for the center. We are likely to become profitable with the next batch of puppies,” said P. Vijayan, superintendent of the prison.

The center has gained popularity through word of mouth, while prison authorities advertise the availability of puppies in newspapers, leading to their immediate sale.

The last to be sold were two German Shepherd dogs, which were sold for ₹25,000 each on Thursday. They were snapped up by dog ​​lovers as soon as prison authorities made their availability public. Although there were three puppies, one was given to the person who gave the mating dog. Similarly in the past, three Dobermans were sold for a collective of ₹89,000.

The dogs at the center are registered with a recognized kennel club and are periodically vaccinated.

Inmates are trained in the handling of dogs and are responsible for maintaining the breeding center. “They feed the dogs and take them for walks and exercise. The center not only enables inmates to be successfully engaged, but also offers them the opportunity to engage in dog breeding, which is very profitable once they are released,” said Eldho PY, Deputy Superintendent of the prison, which is also in charge of the canine breeding center.

The center can add more dogs and according to its means.