DOGS WED IN STYLE

The Kandy canine marriages ....
which angered Cultural Minister

     A special ceremony was held last afternoon at the Police Training School in Kandy. Three canine couples were registered and marriage rituals were performed on a Poruwa.

   These canine couples who were wedded were escorted in a decorated police jeep after the 'wedding' and were taken around the playground. The jeep too was driven by a sniffer dog.

  The first marriage registration was conducted of a couple of Labrador dogs brought from Netherlands and they were a couple of sniffers dogs. Later, canine couples of a high pedigree such as German Shepherd, Rottweiler and Doberman Pinscher were registered yesterday in the same manner for breeding purposes.

  The sniffer-dog couples were decorated in wedding attire and were  well-adorned while the jeep and the Poruwa too were elegantly decorated. Director, Mr.Sisira Weerakoon of the Dog Unit mentioned that an expenditure of Rs. 7 - 8 lakhs is incurred to import 1 sniffer dog to this country and therefore by subjecting 2 pairs of dogs for breeding purposes within the country itself would save a sum of 100 lakhs. The main objective of this project is to produce sniffer dogs who could be familiarised with the climate here as well as other related activities. It was mentioned that difficulties encountered in changes where food and medicines were concerned for a dog born in a foreign country as a result not only get sick but display a lack of skill. Since these imported dogs have been under the supervision of foreign trainers from birth itself, the difficulties faced in bringing them down to Sri Lanka, the necessity to familiarise these dogs as mentioned earlier would no longer be required under this novel project.

  This ceremony was arranged on the conception of Senior DIG of Central Province, Mr.H.N.B. Ambanwana.

 Whatever it is, Mr.T.B. Ekanayaka, Minister of Cultural Affairs had spoken to the IGP about the ceremony where dogs were wedded with a Poruwa ceremony being conducted and had requested for an immediate inquiry. It was mentioned that he looked down upon this aspect of the ceremony which concerned a part of the supreme customs of the country and being used for canine ceremonies, with great contempt and this matter was thus brought to the attention of the IGP.

 The Minister further pointed out that the custom of the Poruwa ceremony which was considered a phenomenon of indigenous value to Sri Lanka was so undermind. The Minister had mentioned that the utilisation of dogs for Poruwa ceremony rites was something that should be viewed with utter disgust, and that  steps should be taken for such instances be not repeated in the future.