BENGALURU:Recently, an incident in KR Puram, saw the owner of a German Shepherd setting his dog on people who objected to the dog defecating in their compound.
What happens commonly, however, is that pet dogs become a major bone of contention and long-drawn rivalries between neighbours. Take the case of Nidhi Ramesh (name changed) for example. An employee at an MNC, she stays alone in a house in HBR Layout. Living on the terrace of a three-storey building, Nidhi would regularly notice dog feces all over the terrace.
"There was a stray dog that was kept by the ground-floor tenants. This dog would come at night or when I am not around, defecate, and carry all sorts of rubbish with it to the terrace. I complained several times to the people below, but they didn't do anything about it, nor did they clean up the filth," she says. Tempers rose on both sides, and the ground-floor tenants eventually left the house. "It was such a relief. I don't mind pets around, however, one should ensure that others are not inconvenienced."
Pet owners need civic sense
Activists say there is a great need for dog owners to develop civic sense and take responsibility for their pets' actions. Rajesh N, an animal rescuer, recalls one incident in Vidynarayanapura from a few months ago, where he had to intervene. A gym trainer had two Labradors, one Retriever and another dog. He would regularly take his dogs out for walks without leashes. "This irked the people in the locality, as the dogs would run around and chase bikes and cars," says Rajesh.
In one incident, one of the dogs caught the leg of a biker and injured him. "This led to tension between the dog-owner and neighbours, escalating to the point where a formal complaint was almost lodged with authorities." Rajesh intervened in his capacity as an animal rescuer and resolved the issue. "We asked the owner to take responsibility for his dogs and keep them on leashes while out in public. We told him that unless he did this, his dogs would be taken away. We also asked him to pay for treatment of the concerned person," recalls Rajesh.
Sohrab Khan, a law student, lives in an apartment complex in NGF, Koramangala. He owned a Labrador and would often receive complaints from his neighbours about his dog barking at night and disturbing their sleep. "This is a common problem in apartments. I use a dog mask for my dog sometimes, but if he feels uncomfortable, I don't use it. I think people without pets should also understand that these are animals and their behaviour can't always be controlled. I try my best, but I can't inconvenience my dog either," he adds.
No way but to coexist
Arun Prasad, an animal rescuer and activist, says, "Humans tend to forget that we share the Earth with other animals. There is no other way but to coexistence. I agree that pet and dog owner's need to be held liable for their animals. But at the same time, people without pets should understand that they are like family members, and you do not throw out or abandon a family member just because someone has a problem with them."
Balance of interests
Recently, the BBMP made plans to bring about a pet licensing rule that had a number of rules, such as only one dog per apartment, directing the kind of breeds that could be kept, etc. It, however, was withdrawn following outrage by the public and animal lovers. The High Court asked for revised rules with all stakeholders involved in the decision-making, so that a balance be struck between pets owners and non-pet owners.