Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finalised a draft bylaw on pet regulations after deliberating on the pros and cons of 53 proposals and complaints received from corporators.
The complaints and suggestions were minutely discussed at a special meeting of the BMC chaired by Mayor Sulochana Das on Wednesday.
A decision was taken to make provision of insurance for pets while a dog owner would be allowed to keep more than one dog.
Speaking after the meeting, Mayor Sulochan Das said,”After deliberations on 53 complaints and suggestions from corporators, the draft bylaw for pet dogs has been finalised and it will be placed at the next BMC meeting for approval and be converted into a law.”
She also said that the BMC had earlier discussed with pet dog lovers and kernel clubs in the city about the bylaw and received their feedback online.
“We are also working out modalities for registration of pet dogs by their owners and introduce a chip system with detailed data of the owners. Besides, there will be legal action against the dog owners who abandon their pets when they grow old or sick. This often creates havoc on streets. When the animals bite people, no one comes forward to sort the issue out. In such cases, the dog owners will be penalised under Cruelty Against Animal Act,” she observed.
Besides, the BMC will step up the ongoing animal birth control (ABC) programme by hastening the sterilisation of stray dogs which have posed a problem in the city.
The mayor informed that an old hostel building in Mancheswar which the state government has provided to the BMC will be used as a sterilisaion hospital where at least 100 dogs can be sterilised per day, she added.
Significantly, there is provision of penalty on dog owners if their pets are found pooping on streets. A penalty up to Rs10,000 can be imposed on them.
Notably, following reports of increasing incidents of dog bites in the state capital, the BMC had framed the draft of ‘Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (Registration and Proper Control of Dogs) bylaw’ in November 2022 to regulate pet dog ownership.
As per the proposed bylaw, the registration of a dog will cost around Rs 500 while their owners will be given metal tokens or tags having their names and addresses engraved on. The owners will be required to fix the tags on their dogs’ collars. The owners will also be required to keep the dogs chained while venturing out.
