It is nothing new, we often come across abandoned pet dogs on roadside and secluded spots. But this is a different case as a three-year-old Pomeranian was found abandoned with a letter attached to its collar in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. In the note, the owner said that they are fed up with the pet’s ‘illicit relationship’ with a dog in the neigbourhood and they have no option other than abandoning it.

Out in the rain for the whole night, a passerby finally noticed the helpless dog and alerted the People for Animals (PFA), an NGO working for the welfare of animals. After taking it to the kennel, the volunteers noticed the small note tied to the collar of the Pomeranian.

Written in Malayalam, the note reads, ‘It is a nice breed. Well-behaved… she has many good qualities and takes minimum food only. She is healthy and free from all diseases. It only barks and in three years it did not bite anyone. Main food is milk, raw eggs and biscuits. Recently, it developed an illicit relation with a dog next door so I am abandoning it.’

‘I have rescued many animals. But this is the first of its sort. The dog is in heat. If the arrogant owner did not want it to breed, there is sterlilisation. It is free in many vet hospitals in Kerala. But this is a ridiculous reason to abandon such a cute animal,’ said PFA volunteer Shameem Farooq. She said many pet-lovers have come forward to adopt the Pomeranian but Farooq said she will wait for some time in case the real owner turns up after having a change of heart.

Farooq said many irresponsible owners often abandon their pets when they turn sick or old but this is the first time she came across such a case involving ‘moral turpitude.’ Though abandoning a pet is a crime in India, many get away with it easily. Abandoning an animal for any reason can land you in prison for up to three months with a fine under Section II (1) of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. But animal activists do say these laws remain only on paper.