CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to reply to a petition filed by People for Cattle in India (PFCI) challenging the norms for mandatory licensing of pet animals and the deadline set for obtaining the licence.
Justice V Lakshminarayanan granted 10 days’ time to the civic body to file the reply and adjourned the hearing to November 25. The petition, filed by PFCI founder G Arun Prasanna, stated that the GCC Commissioner made an announcement on October 14 wherein November 24 was set as the cut-off date for obtaining licence for pet dogs or cats, failing which Rs 5,000 penalty would be imposed on the pet owner.
Further, the announcement stated that a spot fine of Rs 500 will be imposed if pets are not muzzled when taken to public places. It said there are technical glitches and snags in the newly introduced portal, slowing down the registration and scuttling it sometimes.
Further, the petitioner stated that there is no explicit exemption or separate pathway for rescue organisations, foster-care providers or rehabilitative custodians handling injured, abandoned or sick animals.
Stating that the pet population, as per the GCC estimates, is about 1 lakh in Chennai, the PFCI noted that only 20,000 registrations have been made so far. The cut-off date of November 24 to register the rest 80,000 is procedurally unfair and practically impossible.
Referring to this submission, the judge raised a query as to how such a huge number of licences could be issued within such a short period of time.
The organisation prayed for an interim stay on the October 14 announcement setting November 24 deadline for licensing and quashing the prescription of cut-off date, penal action against non-compliant owners and compulsory muzzling of pets in public places.
It also sought the respondents to provide extended compliance window following stabilisation of the licencing portal, clarifying the applicability of licencing and penal action to animal welfare organisations, fosterers, rescuers and NGOs engaged in temporary and transitional care of animals.