Stealing pets for the reward

Oh yes, this is a good one.

They take your beloved pet and then wait for the announcement of the reward to be posted.
There is some story about 'finding' the pet on the road.

Someone is Goa offered Rs25,000 for a CAT ! and when I was there last week there was someone offering Rs10,000 for a dog.

A lot of money for an impoverished local.

AnnieG

With these overly generous rewards and tips, the locals cannot but think that foreign tourists must be fools to waste their money like this. Hence the I might as well steal the pet attitude.

Some other posters here suggest tipping/rewarding whatever is "right" in their home country coonverted to rupees, "give Rs 100, after all its only $2". I think this approach will work against tourists in general. Resuting in the locals just becoming more greedy, and yes, assuming that they can take advantage of tourists.

I would recommend that tourists inquire what the typical local rates are and then give accordingly. You can always have the option of donating your excess cash to a local charity.

$227 for a dog? $568 for a cat? I know people who would pay that reward in a heartbeat to get their pet back. I have a diabetic cat to whom I give a daily shot of insulin, how much money do you think I've spent on veterinary care for him in the last 5 years?

I would not be too quick to judge how foolish foreign tourists are, if they want to pay a reward, so what? It's nobody's business but their own. It's the greedy creeps who would steal a pet in the first place who should be judged.

To paraphrase an old saying

most people are good because they didn't have an opportunity to be bad.

What you said is right but it might do some good to think about to what levels /others/ might sink to.

See, in Hogennakal falls, a place famous for waterfalls, the locals would rather let a person drown than save him. Why?

because you would be willing to pay Rs 10K for the /remains/ than pay 500 to save your drunken friend who slipped into the water and fished out by them.

That's true commerce for you. crvlvr was pointing to such a logical extension.

Hey, you are from chicago, I thought you'd have seen it all......

Another good reason not to take your pet to India.

yes, tipping becomes a difficult affair and the balancing act (bargaining with an old under fed porter or seasonal autorickshaw fellow) can be gut wrentching. For example, at the railway stations, when i see the old porter carry my 50 kgs of weight over his head, my heart pains- it pains because i eat 10 times as much as he does, and pay enormous amount of money (compared to india) to go to the gym, and why can i not just give Euro 2 or Euro 4 for carrying my luggage.

On the other hand i walk into a hotel and pay Euro 20 to Euro 50 WIHTOUT a second thought, and same goes when i walk to any pizza hut or even McDonalds. So why do i have to think twice to pay a small tip to a porter ??, its sounds like the conditions imposed by IMF or WORLD BANK.

thanks
dan

DD, I'm not that old yet to have seen it all, but I'm old enough to know that nothing is outside the scope of human nature...

In Chicago, pets are stolen to be used in dog-fighting rings. They're used to "train" pit bulls, to get their "blood up". Somebody ties their new puppy to the lightpole while they go in for a quick Starbucks, they come out and the pup is gone. I think they'd pay $500 to get their pup back.

This is very crucial point. Dan, I appreciate your views and feelings if you can help more why not. But what happens the expectation goes very high. Consider the same railway porter, he asked for Rs/- 30 and you paid it with a tip of 100/- (again thanks for your thoughts). Next day he will expect same kind of return from another passenger, he will never think this passenger is not able to earn in $ / Euro. And same time plz consider the kind of service or words that next passenger will receive from that porter if he is not able to satisfy the porter with sufficient tipping. So if your activity (there is no doubt about your helping attitude) herms the balance, I think crvcvr is right, better stick to local standard (may be something better but plz not too high).
I have personal experience (bitter) where foreign money (easy and lucrative tip) made hotel boys greedy and they are habituated to neglect domestic tourists as they are not able to.
Thank you once again but please think twice before heavy tipping. Charity or welfare trusts are also good options to extend the hands for help.

Hi Somnath,
Thank you very much for your thoughts. Honestly speaking there are no local standards, i wish there were.

Answer me this question?, a porter asks me say Rs 100 to carry my bags, how can i bargain?, i just can not, hope you are able to understand it.

On the other hand i go to a bar and blow Rs1000 without thinking twice.

It is a difficult call, i do understand your concerns, but i hope you can understand my dilemma as well.

thanks
dan

From MUG, a Dutch magazine for people on the dole:

"Dog-napping

More and more British thieves go for the (guard) dog instead of the TV or jewellery. Every week dozens of pedigree dogs are kidnapped for ransom or to sell them on. Doglost, an organization that tracks down disappeared dogs, urges that all dogs be chipped.
Dog-napping is big money: dog owners are often willing to pay thousands of Euros to have their pal returned. Moreover the chances of getting caught are small. Perhaps a second aggressive guard dog is a solution."

Hi Dan,
Thank you for your reply and let me say sorry to AnnieG for running a parallel discussion in this thread. Dan you are right that there is no standard for the charge to be paid to the porters. Though the charge is fixed by their union but practically it is not possible to confirm during traveling. Hence it is next to impossible to decide what to be paid but generally it is noticed (personal experience and from friends) that they ask to pay 3 / 4 times to a foreigner than the actual (in tourist spots or big cities). Experience of other IMers can help you better but you can start with 50% of what they will charge.

And blowing 1000/- in a bar? If you are consuming the stuff and getting bills for that you are contributing to the economy which is fair enough but if you are getting bills for 300/- and spending rest of the amount for tipping, well……, as I said earlier, that may harm the balance.

Dilemma, Balance, Economy, Help, Expectation, Railway porters, Barman these all are included . Thank you once again for keeping so much space even for an old porter in India and for such a positive attitude to help people. Wish you a happy traveling .

Thank you,
Somnath

Last season i met a couple who were intent on giving away 5.000GBP to a family (any family) that live in the shacks by the roadside where they were working, myself and a few other long timers here convinced them this was not a good idea as there would have been serious problems with the other workers living on the same site. Ok their intentions were to make life easier for these people but the consquences would have been dangerous.
So in the end they gave the money to various good charities within Goa, so everyone benefitted people, children, animals,clinics,etc. not just 1 family.
As for the normal tips, fares etc, i met a guy who paid a taxi driver 2.000/- a day to sit outside the hotel just in case he wanted to go out somewhere, mad or what!!!!!