Also mentions about Mudhol Hounds breed at Mudhol in Bagalkot District of Karnataka

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged citizens to choose from Indian breeds when considering adopting animals during his Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday. 

Hailing the role of ‘canine soldiers’ in the security of the nation and safety of the force personnel, PM Modi lauded the brave Indian Army dogs Sophie, a Cocker Spaniel and Vida, a Labrador.

Sophie and Vida were awarded the Chief of Army Staff ‘Commendation Card’ on the 74th Independence Day.

The Prime Minister suggested people to bring home indigenous breeds as they require less expense on upkeep and are already well adapted to the country’s climatic conditions. 

‘Mudhol Hound’, ‘Himachal Hound’, ‘Rajpalayam’, ‘Kanni’, ‘Chippiparai’ and ‘Combai’, are some of India’s indigenous breeds, the Prime Minister mentioned. Mudhol Hound is deployed by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). 

“These dogs have played very important role in stopping a number of bomb blasts and conspiracies of terrorists,” PM said.

About Mudhol Hounds: Also known as the Maratha Hound, the Pashmi Hound and the Kathewar Dog, Mudhol Hound is a breed of sighthound from India. It is bred at Mudhol in Bagalkot district of Karnataka.

The Kennel Club of India (KCI) and Indian National Kennel Club (INKC) recognise the breed under different breed names. The KCI registers it as a Caravan Hound while the INKC uses the name Mudhol Hound.

In 2005, the Mudhol Hound was one of four Indian dog breeds featured on a set of postage stamps released by the Indian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to celebrate the country’s canine heritage.

To preserve and promote indigenous breeds, the Canine Research and Information Centre was set up in Mudhol by the Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, (KVAFSU), Bidar. The institute breeds pure-bred Mudhol puppies and today they are popular everywhere. The institute has hugely credited for preserving this breed. For, from just mere 750 Mudhol hounds in 2010, today, the number has increased to many thousands.

Mudhol Hounds have been inducted into the Indian Army to guard the borders. In fact, this is for the first time that the Army is using the desi breed to keep vigil at the borders of Jammu and Kashmir. 

While the Army’s initiative is in tune with the Made-in-India approach, it has certainly brought back the focus on the lean-mean hounds that were once relegated to the agriculture fields and were on the verge of extinction.