Sri Lankan police have apologised after they “married” nine sniffer dog pairs in a Buddhist ceremony.
Police said the weddings were arranged to promote domestic breeding of sniffer dogs, but apologised for offending cultural sensibilities.
The Culture Ministry condemned the ceremony, with minister T B Ekananayake saying the police had "contemptibly devalued" weddings in a devoutly Buddhist country.
"This is not acceptable according to our cultural norms," Ekanayake said.
"We are people who really value out traditional weddings - which are only done at auspicious times alongside the chanting of stanzas and [other] poruwa rituals.
"The police have demeaned all this by conducting this in the Kandy - the city of the [famous Buddhist) Temple of Truth. I totally condemn this."
The newlywed dogs were driven by police vans to enjoy their “honeymoon” in the hill resort of Nuwara Eliya.
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