The government has finally banned the import of foreign breeds of dogs for commercial purposes in India. A notification from the Director General of Foreign Trade on Monday said the import of dogs will now only be allowed for defence and police forces, some research and development organisations, and those who already own pets abroad and have documentation to prove it. The R&D organisations importing dogs will need a recommendation from the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals.

The move has already garnered support from animal welfare organisations, including People for Animals and Humane Society International (India). The most popular pedigree dog breeds in India are German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Labradors, Dobermans, and Pugs, according to a report in The Times of India. However, several other breeds including Siberian/Alaskan Huskies (pictured above) and St Bernards have become popular in India and are often abandoned because they are hard to maintain and cannot acclimatise to Indian weather.

The move will make buying a foreign dog in India more expensive. Breeders have criticised the decision and called it unfair.