It's truly a dog's life in there
04.06.11
At a pet shop in Kirulapone, the Sunday Times witnessed how five puppies inside a small kennel were fighting each other. According to the vendor, puppies are locked up in this manner only while they are at the shop but released once they are taken back to the owner’s home in the evening. The other animals available for sale - guinea pigs, rabbits, parrots remain in the shop throughout the day. The puppies are often as young as four weeks old, and sold at a prices ranging from Rs. 10,000 - Rs. 25,000.
The inhuman handling of parrots was another distressing sight - 12 parrots clinging on to the sides of the cage with no space to move was indeed heartrending.
Birds such as munias (Vee Kurulla) are in high demand as they are used for various poojas. People consider it meritorious to set these birds free, the Sunday Times was told by one of the traders in Thalawathugoda. “We usually sell about five or six pairs for a week,” the vendor said.
Source: Sunday Times.lk