Independent dog rescuers, such as I, who are die-hard canine lovers, lead very sad lives because of the emotional trauma we undergo every time we come across an ill-treated dog.

The latest incident, which was reported in a local daily, where a two-year-old Doberman was abandoned by its owners, is truly heart shattering.

The owners, apparently had abandoned the dog because it suffered by a genetic skin condition which was probably due to too much in-breeding.

This is not a remote case as indiscriminate in-breeding by backyard breeders has resulted in many owners abandoning their pedigrees due to various reasons ranging from skin disorders to violent temperaments.

The only way to counter this menace would be for the department of veterinary services to embark on a mammoth operation to identify and clamp down on these illegal breeders.

In addition to mating siblings and offspring with parents, these cold-hearted individuals also keep the dog in unsanitary and poor conditions.

On behalf of all dog lovers, I urge the relevant authorities to put right what has gone terribly wrong.