Made popular by an advertisement, the dog has few takers today

Representative photo of a pug

Every dog has its day, and it gets over, too.

For the adorable pug of Vodafone who escalated the demand of the breed, shares a similar story. With the market value of pugs dipping dramatically after the telecom company took off air the television commercial featuring the symbolic pug, the city pet shop owners seems to lose their bet on the brand dog.

"The commercial had increased the demand of pugs in the market. But since the advertisement was stopped screening on TV, the demand and the price for the adorable pet has been reduced drastically. Till last year, I could easily sell a pug for Rs 45,000 but I had to literally negotiate to sell the same animal for Rs 15,000 yesterday," said Gohil, pet shop owner in GK-I, who owns four such outlets in Delhi.u00a0u00a0

The 'boy and pug' campaign was among the most loved commercial on television and the growing popularity made the pug a hot favourite among customers. The dogs with short, muzzled face would cost between Rs 25,000 to Rs 75,000 during that time but after the ad went off air, the price has gone down to Rs 12,000-Rs 16,000.

"The black pug, a rare breed, could be easily sold for Rs 45,000 during that time. These days it can be bought

Pug of war

Pugs face unique health challenges. Their unnaturally short faces and upturned noses lead to breathing difficulties and make them susceptible to heatstroke. Their compromised respiratory systems make anesthetizing them a risk. Most of the females can't even give birth without the help of a veterinarian. Their large, shallow-set eyes are extremely vulnerable to injury and infection. Pugs are also prone to serious brain diseases, joint problems and skin and allergy problems. Read Next Story Company Secretaries Examination results on Feb 25› Trending Stories Latest Photos Latest Videos Latest Web Stories ADVERTISEMENT Mid-Day Fast ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ; ADVERTISEMENT