CHENNAI: The city corporation has banned keeping Rottweilers and Pitbulls as pets within corporation limits, effective from Saturday.
While the city corporation will stop issuing new licences for these two breeds, those with existing licenses might also find themselves in a fix since the corporation has decided not to entertain renewals too.
Those having these dogs as pets without a license will be fined Rs 1 lakh, as per a resolution adopted by the corporation council on Friday.
Corporation sources, on being asked what pet owners who already have these dogs must do, said once their existing licence expires, they ‘may keep their dogs in places other than Chennai’.
The move has raised concerns of abandonment of these breeds on to the streets for fear of paying the hefty fine, which might then increase the risk of the public being attacked by these breeds.
The resolution stated that of late, incidents of pet dog bites and related complaints have increased. Of these, several are due to Pit Bulls and Rottweilers which, as per the resolution, were ferocious and aggressive. It also stated its characteristics might change with people and places that the dogs are unfamiliar with. Dogs that are being kept until the expiry of their licences, must be leashed and muzzled in public places, the city corporation reiterated.
“While it is a welcome move that new purchases of these breeds are restricted, it cannot be accepted that existing dogs be dumped by owners once the licence expires. Existing owners should be allowed to keep the pets until the pets’ life span,” said animal welfare activist Antony Rubin.
The city corporation, through a separate resolution, has also finalised a plan in order to comply with the Supreme Court orders to remove stray dogs from public places like schools, hospitals and transport hubs. The resolution said apart from the two shelters that are being constructed in Manali and Perungudi, private organisations and NGOs would be roped in to permanently house these dogs.
The corporation will also arrange for the option to adopt these dogs, the resolution said. Apart from the feeding cost of Rs 50 per day for each dog, if a private organisation takes in more than 20 dogs, the corporation will also pay Rs 750 per day to two workers designated to take care of these dogs.
Srijith P from Sholinganallur, whose family owns a Rottweiler said, “When the city corporation had themselves allowed registration of the breeds in their official portal until recently, they can’t decide against renewing licences for existing owners all of a sudden. Are they expecting us to abandon our dogs or euthanise them?”