These days, if you’re looking to buy a pet, then you’d better be willing to shell out big bucks for it. A fine canine breed can cost you thousands of rupees. And if, god forbid, you’re looking a rare breed, then there’s no end to the expenses you can incur. It can cost you lakhs or even crores. Astonished? Well, if that sounds concocted to you, meet the Bangalore-based actor and business man Satish S., who very recently spent a whopping Rs 2 crore to bring home a pair of Korean Dosa Mastiffs.
Satish, the proud owner of these two-month old puppies, already nurtures and takes care of around 150 other dogs at his farmhouse. Several of these belong to rare and exotic breeds. The two newest members of his canine menagerie have arrived from China, and Satish, who gave the pets an elaborate and rather grand welcome, complete with red carpets and chauffeur-driven luxury cars.
“I had been on the lookout for this breed for 20 years. And while I was looking for another breed, I found a trader in Beijing whose Korean Mastiff gave birth to two puppies recently,” Satish tells Guardian 20.
After their arrival in India, the pets were brought to their new home, which happens to be Satish’s farm house, in a Rolls Royce and Range Rover each.
“My love for dogs has prevailed since my founding years, as my father was an Assistant Director at a veterinary hospital,” says Satish. “I’ve been feeding and taking care of several dogs in my locality for years now. So when things started to look up and I could indulge myself, I started providing a home to these exotic and rare dogs,” adds Satish.
He claims to be the first to own this rare dog breed in India, one that is characterised by heavily wrinkled skin, hanging jowls and a blunt, sharp nose with a lifespan of usually 8-12 years.
These high-maintenance dogs, Satish says, “eat raw chicken and a specific brand of dog food. I’ll be shelling out Rs 50,000 for them every month.”
“The puppies are coming from a cooler place — used to temperatures around 6 degrees Celsius. I have made arrangements for them to be kept at an air-conditioned kennel, till they adapt to Indian temperatures. They adapt easily,” he adds.
The Korean Dosa Mastiffs, originally from South Korea, can also be as watch dogs or even search dogs.
“I don’t buy these dogs to sell their pups further. I generally give the pups away for free to anyone who can take proper care of them. My basic reason to acquire them is so that I can train them and make them participate in dog shows. Till date I have 3,000 first prize certificates and around 300 certificates that have declared my dogs to be champions,” Satish tells Guardian 20.
A former actor and the current president of the Indian Dog Breeder’s Association, Satish has appeared in four Kannada films so far: “It’s my dream to have a stall in every dog show in the country with my dogs. As yet, I have 20 dogs that are show ready, but I want to take the number to a 100. And I will in a few more years.”
“I have Afghan Hounds, an American Bull Dog, a Siberian husky, a Tibetan Mastiff and several other exotic and huge dogs, who together make my army of show dogs,” adds Satish.
Satish’s farm in Bengaluru houses around 150 dogs — a combination of rare and big breeds. The most expensive breed, after the two recent pups, that he has till now acquired, is a Tibetan Mastiff, which he had bought for Rs 65 lakh.