New Delhi:
A Greyhound, imported from Australia and stuck at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, has got a new lease of life. A spokesman of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has said that the canine will be handed over to Ms Maneka Gandhi.
The dog was brought as a cargo in Malaysian Airlines on November 1, 2011 and had been stuck at the warehouse of the airport since then. According to a (DIAL) official, the dog was brought from Australia by Malaysian Airlines to be handed over here to one J S Sidhu, who "abandoned" it.
The canine is awaiting a mandatory 'no objection certificate' from the Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) under the Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying & Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture for its release.
Efforts to reach Malaysian Airlines proved futile.
As per norms, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) has to be taken by a person from AQCS prior to the animal's import besides veterinary certificate and vaccination record of the pet has to be produced on arrival.
DIAL maintained that the dog "is in fine health".
"The dog has been cruelly abandoned by its owner shortly after it landed at IGI Airport. Ever since, DIAL and Celebi (operator of cargo terminal) employees, at considerable risk to themselves, have diligently fed and exercised the dog," it said.
Slamming those involved in illegal transportation of the dog, DIAL said perpetrators should be brought to book by the authorities.
"Malaysian Airlines Cargo (MASkargo) has refused to accept responsibility of the dog and has instead tried to pass off the responsibility of the dog to DIAL and Celebi," it alleged.
"We explained the whole unfortunate incident to Ms (Maneka) Gandhi and it was her timely intervention which has helped secure the release of this unfortunate dog," DIAL CEO, I Prabhakara Rao said.
Gandhi and DIAL appealed to the AQCS and Customs to release the dog so that it may be handed over to her soon.
The dog was brought as a cargo in Malaysian Airlines on November 1, 2011 and had been stuck at the warehouse of the airport since then. According to a (DIAL) official, the dog was brought from Australia by Malaysian Airlines to be handed over here to one J S Sidhu, who "abandoned" it.
The canine is awaiting a mandatory 'no objection certificate' from the Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) under the Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying & Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture for its release.
Efforts to reach Malaysian Airlines proved futile.
As per norms, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) has to be taken by a person from AQCS prior to the animal's import besides veterinary certificate and vaccination record of the pet has to be produced on arrival.
DIAL maintained that the dog "is in fine health".
"The dog has been cruelly abandoned by its owner shortly after it landed at IGI Airport. Ever since, DIAL and Celebi (operator of cargo terminal) employees, at considerable risk to themselves, have diligently fed and exercised the dog," it said.
Slamming those involved in illegal transportation of the dog, DIAL said perpetrators should be brought to book by the authorities.
"Malaysian Airlines Cargo (MASkargo) has refused to accept responsibility of the dog and has instead tried to pass off the responsibility of the dog to DIAL and Celebi," it alleged.
"We explained the whole unfortunate incident to Ms (Maneka) Gandhi and it was her timely intervention which has helped secure the release of this unfortunate dog," DIAL CEO, I Prabhakara Rao said.
Gandhi and DIAL appealed to the AQCS and Customs to release the dog so that it may be handed over to her soon.
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