ISSUE 047, Sept 16 - Sept 30, 2011
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
3
Kenya’s own dog whisperer By JOSEPH MUKUBWA For many, dogs are just petty animals but for a man in Othaya, it is his business, pride and joy. As one approaches the dilapidated gate to his two bed-room house, one is immediately confronted by huge dogs who are barking all over. Their size is enough to scare anybody away. One two-year-old German Shepherd weighs 54 kilogrammes. At the banks of River Thuti on the outskirts of Othaya town one finds John Kagombe, 46, alias wa Ngui (ngui is the Kikuyu word for dog), a man who has dedicated his life to dog-keeping for more than 30 years. His life is all about dogs. He eats, sleeps and dreams dogs. Wa Ngui is also educating his two children with income from the dog business. His dogs are for commercial purposes and they are his joy and pride as they provide for their daily meal. He passionately narrates how he sold dogs to pay dowry for his wife. This man who holds a diploma in Building and Construction says that because of his love for dogs, he abandoned his career to keep the canines. Every year, he sells about 20 dogs. One trained dog goes at KSh60, 000 while the biggest dog is worth KSh150, 000. One puppy goes for over KSh10, 000. As other men tether cows and goats to the market, Kagombe waits for his dog customers at home. Most of his dogs are booked while still young. The farmer cum businessman from Othaya has made a kill in his business and sold many dogs that have found a home in almost all parts of the country. He has even sold some as far as Uganda and Tanzania. His major customers are security firms and the Kenya Police Dog Unit. He also sells to individuals.
Special breeds
His 20 dogs, down from the previous 60 go by names among them Simba, Maggie, Diva and Docks. Their breeds include German Shepherd, Roberman, Rottweiller, Japanese Spins and Jack Russell. “As other Kenyans count their wealth in terms of plots, livestock, buildings, land and vehicles, I’m busy counting mine in terms of the number of dogs in my kennels,” explains Kagombe. When a dog litters, the man is then assured of paying school fees and house rent as well as feeding his family. He is proud of being associated with dogs. The former police reservist says that dogs have made him travel far and wide. “I have visited Germany, South Africa and Sudan just because of dogs. Most of my clients have paid for my air ticket for me to accompany them to their countries to help select the best breeds,” he says. Kagombe is a director with a Nairobi-based security firm which was started recently. He plans to start a dog training college in future. “I love my dogs very much. Sometimes when clients come to buy them, I feel as if it is a family member I am giving away,” he says. Kagombe’s interest in dogs developed when he was nine years old, something that brought him into conflicts with his parents from time to time. He recalls how he raised KSh6, 000 later after selling two dogs while in Form Three in 1985. He was then aged 16. He does not regret having several bites and scratch marks on his hands and legs from the dogs. His love for dogs started when he was at Mtopanga Primary School in Mombasa as his father also loved dogs. “I was close to my dad and so I came to like dogs, I was given two dogs when I was leaving Mombasa. That’s where I started.” The two dogs started breeding and they sold the puppies to the neighbours. He started training the animals and would fetch more income. The father of two trains the dogs on obedience, socialising with people, attacking, tracking, swimming, defending and detecting poison. The dogs are also taught to avoid food from suspicious sources.
He has read many books on dog training and learnt more from friends. More than 30 years later, he is still pursuing courses related to dog training. The training includes tracking, attacking, defending and even swimming across River Thuti without the aid of the owner. The dogs undergo poisoning training, which is vital especially when guarding compounds where criminals have a tendency of poisoning dogs using raw or cooked meat. Kagombe emphasises that the poisoning training is important as it dismantles the criminal’s possibilities of killing the guard dog.
Poison training
“This training involves starving of the dogs for two to three days after which they are released from their kennel to find meat and other foodstuffs thrown all over the compound,” he explains. Kagombe adds: “Unknown to the dogs, the foods are smeared with very bitter substances. After weeks of training, the dogs become aware that anything thrown around is bitter.” They are then fed on cooked John Kagombe playing with one of food comprising of meat, maize the dogs he is training at his farm. flour, wheat flour, omena and indigenous greens collected The dogs are his best friends and from bushes adding that some source of income. of the greens are assumed to Pictures: Joseph Mukubwa be herbs that contain and protect dogs when they litter and breastfeed. Kagombe would later start training security groups and acre peace of land which individuals who would come with their dogs. he was given by GovernToday, he charges KSh30, 000 for an individual ment after occupants dewho wants to be trained. serted the 30 houses due to He acknowledges that a bitch lacking calinsecurity. The dogs now cium, which is mostly found in bones and omhelp to maintain security ena would automatically eliminate most of its in the area. puppies by ‘eating’ them after delivery. Puppies are to be deHis advice to others in a similar field is that wormed two weeks after a dog lacking vitamins E and K, which are delivery, an exercise that found mostly on wheat and green vegetables is repeated every two is likely to bleed excessively while giving birth weeks until they are three as the vitamins aid in clotting during delivery. months old. Most people feed the dogs with maize that Vaccination of Parvo has been rejected for being unfit for human viruses is also done after consumption. The maize is likely to find its way two weeks from the time of delivery where the to the posho mill and hence be fed to the dogs. virus is rampant though it can be done at the fifth and sixth week of birth. This must be re-administered three weeks “This results to aflatoxin (condition wherelater after which the puppies are administered by moulds form in the liver affecting the dog’s with the final dose of Distemper Hepatitis Lepdigestive system resulting to death). This has tospirosis and Parvo (DHL). caused deaths to so many dogs in big farms and From there, the puppies are ready for market. individuals,” he cautions. One dog gives birth to between five and eight During mating, some dogs need assistance puppies twice per year. They start giving birth as males are most likely to be heavier than the after reaching 18 months. bitches and hence lack penetration. After 62 days, the bitch is likely to deliver To avoid such a situation, upcoming farmits puppies. A place must be prepared one ers are encouraged to seek assistance from an week before birth so that it can be accustomed expert. He cautions farmers against oppressing to the surrounding. Since dogs are animals, the dogs. they are likely to dig a hole in an uncemented “I have started small businesses like a barber house where chances of survival of puppies shop after I got the funds from these canines. are minimal because of predators that include I have done much due to dogs. At one point, I safari ants and snakes. Kagombe’s advice is helped to clear may father’s bank loan of over spreading of the sand in cemented kennels up KSh1 million,” Kagombe says while cleaning one to about three inches from the floor. of the puppies. Though popular in Othaya and other parts Kagombe’s business is situated on the oneof the country, Kagombe’s updated lifestyle has
Dog food
“Unknown to the dogs, the foods are smeared with very bitter substances. After weeks of training, the dogs become aware that anything thrown around is bitter.” — John Kagombe
remained a puzzle to many. His efforts to appear a simple common man are betrayed by his expensive and modern clothes. Only those who have visited his kennels especially during the dog training session know Kagombe better. Like in any other business, the Kagombe admits that the business also has its challenges. He has to drive to Nairobi to get vaccines and some of the feeds. He gets the omena fish from Gikomba market at exploitative prices. For the maize flour, he travels to Meru where he owns a maize farm solely for the dogs. He purchases wheat from farms along Nyahururu Road. Kagombe has to vaccinate the animals by himself due to the high charges imposed by the Ministry of Livestock Development. In most cases, the local offices are not stocked with vaccines and other necessary supplies. Scarcity of training facilities has also been a barrier. He says that training is important to enable the farmer keep up with modern dog technology. Most of Kagombe’s customers prefer a down payment for the puppies from the time of birth to the time of taking them to their new home. One day before collection, the puppies are starved to avoid vomiting during transportation. Kagombe urges youths to invest in the business since it is not costly and has quick returns. He is truly a darling of dogs.