CAIRO: As you meander through the labyrinthine Friday Market that stretches along several kilometers under Al Tunsi Bridge in Old Cairo, you begin to lose track of why you're there in the first place. The notorious flea market houses everything your heart desires: from furniture, to ceramic tiles, to garments, to electric gadgets to shoes, both new and used - stuff you wouldn't imagine would exist in this part of our sprawling capital. Quite by accident, I found what I was looking, or rather heard it. The barking got louder and louder as I approached my target - a small space which only dog aficionados would have the courage to set up, unmindful of the threats and sneers of neighboring vendors who see them as intruders. My attention was instantly diverted to a number of dogs hounded by crowds of owners and future owners. "Animal rights activists would have a field day here, I thought. Dog-owners come here to sell their animals or find a breeding match to improve the offspring and make some money selling them. The buyers too come in all shapes and sizes: animal traders, ordinary people hoping to snag a good deal (albeit illegal) or simply onlookers intrigued by the scene. "This is a male Doberman, said 13-year-old Osman. "Many owners of female German Shepherds come here in search of a Doberman for mating - believe it or not, the result is superb. Kamel, who stood in one corner holding a labrador couple waited for hours for that sale. "I am offering them both. They mated and the female is pregnant, which means you could be buying six dogs not two, said Kamel, trying to sell them to me. "I'm not buying, Kamel, I have a female wolf that I want to breed with a male labrador, I said. "How old is your female? Has she started ovulating? I should know all about it before they consummate the marriage, he said with a smirk. "How much will it cost? "Let's say LE 300. Khaled, an old hand in the business, was surrounded by a crowd flooding him with questions about a couple of wolf dogs he was selling. Owning and selling wolfs is what he does for a living. He has eight of them at his place to sell or rent them out for mating. "Matings can't happen on the spot, though, he explains. "When my male is tested I go and visit the female at the buyer's place, where we leave to couple together for a few hours. The couple are mated two or three times per week and pregnancy occurs within two or three months, he adds. "If it doesn't we take both to a vet. People come to the Friday Market's dog corner because the prices are more affordable. While some buy the dogs to resell them at a profit, others look for guard dogs, pets for their children or just simply a companion. Some go to find their stolen dog. "It's the first place to look if you're dog goes missing, a kind of black market, say one owner. Mohamed Adel who visits to the market regularly, says buyers can be easily duped. "I check for rheum around the eyes and nostrils as well as anal secretions. The eyes should be white not bloodshot. Buyers should remember that it's a one-time deal - they may never find that seller again, added Adel. Before the crowd began to disperse for Friday prayers crowds started to rush in: young boys carrying puppies, men with wolfs in chains, a man tugging on a muzzled bulldog and others who made an effort to walk away with a good bargain. Exasperated by the stampede and the noise, one vendor starts spraying water on the crowd. But they all come back within minutes, unhindered by the act of aggression. That day Khaled went home with LE 700 in his pocket. He sold the two wolfs separately. Atef prepared to leave the market with one male wolf. But the dog was determined not to budge. "I've just bought it, he said. "The dog can't move. It's confused having parted with its old owner. Its eyes are focused on crowd. I am trying to let him get used to me as slowly as possible. Effat appeared with his female wolf. "She's been barking all night. I have to find her a mate immediately.
