Sri Lanka police apologise for 'traditional' dog wedding
Nine pairs of police dogs dressed in shawls, hats and socks were placed on a decorated platform like those used in traditional weddings in the ceremony
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sri Lanka police have apologised for holding a group wedding ceremony for sniffer dogs after the country's culture minister condemned the event and demanded an investigation.
Nine pairs of police dogs dressed in shawls, hats and socks were placed on a decorated platform like those used in traditional weddings in the ceremony in the central town of Kandy.
Their marriages were also registered by an official in the presence of a crowd of veterinary surgeons, medical doctors, top police officers and the public.
Video footage on local television showed the married dog couples were later being driven away in a decorated police car for their "honeymoons."
The ceremony received wide publicity, and also strong criticism from the cultural officials.
Culture and Arts Minister TB Ekananayake said the ceremony undermined traditional wedding rituals and should be strongly condemned. He called for an investigation into the incident. A decorated platform is used for traditional nuptials by the Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese Buddhists.
Police spokesman Buddhika Siriwardena apologised for any damage to the country's cultural heritage, saying the program was aimed at breeding the sniffer dogs.
"This programme is aimed at breeding dogs accustomed to local weather and food, thereby saving money," Siriwardena said, adding that in 2011 the police department spent more than £300,000 importing such dogs from the Netherlands.
AP
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments