INDIA, NOT A PET FRIENDLY COUNTRY

                                      We are Shera and Reshma.  My parents had to pay a bribe to get us out of these cages.

Dog and cat lovers beware.  India has changed her pet import regulations.  Previously anyone with the required veterinary health certificate and No Objection Certificate - NOC could bring two pets with them while visiting or relocating to India.  This has now changed.  In order for a family to bring their pet they must be relocating to India permanently and must have been gone from the country for more than two years. 

This change was brought about by Maneka Gandhi, India’s Prime Minister to prevent breeders bringing in dogs and cats as personal pets when in effect they were being sold in avoidance of obtaining the proper import licenses.  She is quoted as saying by the Times of India, "We are flooded with dogs, except those needed by government agencies or brought by people on or back from foreign transfers, the government has to put a stop to the import of all dogs."

This in no way addresses the problem.  According to The Hindu Times large numbers of pets can still be imported with a permit issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying or with an import license issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. It does not address the huge problem of India’s overabundance of homeless street dogs.

Ms. Gandhi seems to expect us to adopt India’s street dogs rather than bring our pets who are in every sense our children with us.  Does she want us to leave our human children behind and adopt India’s homeless children as well?  She seems to despise people that prefer a pure bread dog or cat.  I for one have always had a Toy Fox Terrier in my life.  I love the breed and their big dog temperament as well as looks and portability.  That is my choice.  We had intended to adopt a street dog, but now I don’t think so.  I admit I am still angry at how we were treated by the Delhi air cargo authorities and Dr. Chiro Mitra, our pet relocator. http://www.indiapetrelocators.com/pet_import_india.php

What this does do is cut down on tourists that would otherwise visit India with their pet and spend their dollars.  Worse it causes Indian citizens who have not been gone for two years to abandon their pets in foreign countries or abandon them here knowing they cannot bring them back into the country. .  My husband and I had fully intended to relocate here.  India has proven to be very pet unfriendly.  We spent a large amount of money including bribes to extricate our pets, children from the Delhi cargo when Dr. Mitra fraudulently extricated money from us and did not fulfill his obligations as promised. It seems India does not realize we and other expats help bolster their economy with our dollars. While here, we employ several people and have provided for their children’s education as well as other family needs. 

From what I have been able to discern we can bring our pets back and forth with the NOC that we have.  From this experience, I believe it will be very emotionally draining, costly and risky.  This has left a very bitter taste in my mouth.  I don’t think I can ever look at India in the same way.  At this point I sure don’t want to relocate permanently or invest here.  There are other countries out there with better infrastructure that desire the expat dollars, make it very easy to relocate with your pets and are closer to the USA.