Dog breeding business booms but KRG's woes take bite out of profits
Raising puppies in the Kurdistan Region is changing from a hobby to business. Many farms have been built specifically for this reason.
Badradin raises local dogs called Pishdars, as well as German Shepherds. He said he sold 12 German Shepherd puppies last month. The price of one of those puppies is $1,200 to $1,800.
The dog breeder came up with the idea of raising puppies as a business seven years ago, starting with the Pishdars, then began raising the foreign breed.
"The price of Pishdar dogs is different from German Shepherds. We have sold Pishdar puppies for $8,000. They can sell for $10,000 to $12,000 if they are cute," he explained.
He said there is high demand by Persian and Turkish people for Pishdars
"The price of a Pishdar can reach $50,000 if it is a big and good dog," he explained.
Several pet stores have opened in the Kurdistan Region selling local dogs as well as dogs from the Ukraine, Russia, Serbia, and Belarus.
Two categories of dogs primarily are imported into the Kurdistan Region: Smaller breeds include the Shih Tzu, Chowchows, Pomeranians, Maltese, and Fox dogs. The second type is used for protection, or in fields and orchards, as well as for beauty outside the house. The latter include German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Bulldogs, Malamutes, Labradors, Dobermans, Golden Retrievers, Pit bulls and Huskies.
Ahmed Mufaq is the owner of Vela Company which sells dogs and cats in the city of Erbil.
"All types of dogs have their own buyers,” he said. “Small dogs such as Pomeranians, Maltese, and Chowchows are particularly popular. Women and the young people buy mostly cute dogs," he explained. "Dogs such as German Shepherds, Rottweiler, Dobermans, and Malamutes are used for protection and their beauty. They are in demand in Kurdistan."
Breed type, authenticity, and other factors contribute to a dog's price.
"The price for Pomeranians ranges from $1,400 to $2,100," said Mufaq. "The price of Maltese, if bred locally, ranges from $100 to $500 but the foreign type sells for $1,200.
"The price of Chinese Chowchows ranges from $1,000 to $2,500 and the price of German Shepherds ranges from $1,400 to $6,000, depending on its demeanor, color, beauty, originality, and body strength."
Further, the price of the Rottweiler starts from $1,000 up to $2,500 and that of Dobermans and Malamutes from $700 to $1,800," Mufaq said.
In the past, Mufaq imported dogs via Erbil International Airport, but currently imports them via Turkey since Baghdad imposed the flight ban on the Kurdistan Region.
"The expense of importing one single dog has increased nowadays by nearly $120. For example, the expense of importing one dog from the Ukraine to Erbil was previously $45. Now we pay $100 for flight fares to Turkey and another $75 from Turkey to Erbil," he added.
Mufaq sells 60 percent of the dogs he imports to people in Iraqi cities.
"In the Kurdistan Region, dogs are in the highest demand in Sulaimani province, followed by Duhok, Kirkuk, and then Erbil. In Iraq, there is a low demand for dogs only in the cities of Najaf and Karbala. Demand for dogs is high in other Iraqi cities,” he said.
The financial crisis has had a negative impact on the dog market.
"In the past, I was making a $300 profit from selling dogs. Now I am making only $50,” he added.
Increasing demand on dogs has made it necessary for vets to open special clinics for examining and treating dogs and cats.
"Raising dogs has become more popular in Erbil over the past few years. It is mostly Arabs, Christians, and foreigners living in Kurdistan who raise them. It has also become a hobby to some Kurdish youth," Dr. Mustafa Mohammed Zaki, the owner of Blue Opal Vet Clinic in Erbil said.
"According to the data we have compared to last year, raising dogs in Erbil has increased by 25 percent," he added.
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Per instructions from the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, anyone can import dogs providing that they have an examination card, been vaccinated and do not have rabies.
"A large number of dogs are imported to the Kurdistan Region every year. Some enter the Kurdistan Region legally and some are smuggled into the region. That is why we have no accurate data on dog importations," said Dr. Mamand Mohammed, the owner of Erbil Veterinary.
"Only the Ministry of Interior can permit imports of dogs. They are trained to find weapons and drugs. We also permit imports of dogs of beauty if they are not sick and have examination cards. But only companies can import large numbers of dogs," he added.
The Ministry of Agriculture has no official data on the number of dogs in the Kurdistan Region. Mohammed estimates there are approximately 5,000 dogs in the city of Erbil.
"There are also an exceptional number of stray dogs. That is why people and organizations have taken some of them to the US, Russia, France, Iran and Turkey," Mohammed said.