One dog, two owners: Labrador’s DNA test to settle ownership dispute

A three-year old canine will undergo a DNA test to put an end to an ownership dispute , in Madhya Pradesh’s Hoshangabad. The ownership dispute is between a journalist and an Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP) leader.

According to reports, Shadab Khan, a journalist by profession, and Karthik Shivhare, an ABVP leader, both claim ownership on the dog.

Shadab Khan, had registered a police complaint in August, stating that his three-year-old black Labrador dog , named Coco had gone missing.

Recently he traced the dog to the house of Karthik Shivhare, the ABVP leader. Shadab called the police and took the dog with him.

Later on November 19, Shivhare registered a complaint against Shadab, claiming that the dog belonged to him. He said the dog’s name is Tiger.

Rather confusing the police, the dog is responding to both the names, Coco and Tiger, and also he was friendly with both the claimants. This compelled the police to perform the DNA test. They collected its blood samples for a DNA test to verify its parentage, and through that, its genuine owner.

Khan claimed that he bought the dog from Pachmarhi in 2017, while Shivhare said he got it from an Itarsi-based breeder a few weeks back.

Meanwhile the animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) accused the police of being insensitive. However Madhya Pradesh police said that they are dealing the case sensitively to ensure the dog get its rightful owner.