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 Monday 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." Click on read more to continue...
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.
Source: MSN.com
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