The Gaddi dog, a special breed from the Himalayas that helps shepherds, has been officially recognized by India’s National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR). This makes the Gaddi dog the fourth Indian breed to be recognized, joining the Rajapalayam, Chippiparai, and Mudhol Hound.
On January 6th, the NBAGR informed the Himachal Pradesh government about this decision, giving the breed a special ID number: INDIA-DOG-0600_GADDI_19004. The Himachal Pradesh government’s animal husbandry department applied for this recognition back in December 2022 after a lot of research.
For the past eighteen months, the NBAGR has visited farms and interviewed shepherds to learn about the Gaddi dog’s unique traits. This recognition helps to officially record the Gaddi dog’s features, which helps to keep the breed pure and easy to identify.
The project to officially recognize the Gaddi dog started in 2019 and was led by former Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Vineet Chawdhary. He had the idea back in 2015. A special team at the College of Veterinary and Animal Science (COVAS) at Palampur University took care of Gaddi puppies to study their health and genetics. They also collected information from shepherds all over Himachal Pradesh, which was then sent to the NBAGR. The COVAS team continues to breed Gaddi dogs and gives puppies to shepherds, with a few puppies also available for the public.
“This recognition was long overdue. For me, it’s a dream come true. I am thankful to the faculty and staff of the College of Veterinary Sciences, CSKHPKV, Palampur, for making this happen,” said Chawdhary.
Leave a Reply