BHUBANESWAR: The dog attack on an eight-year-old boy has prompted the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) into framing guidelines for pet owners of the state capital.The municipal corporation is planning to make registration of pets mandatory not only for safety of citizens but also to ensure litter-free surroundings as well as avoid instances of cruelty against the canines.
Sources said the administration will soon introduce a window on citizen services portal - Bhubaneswar.Me on which owners will be able to register the details of their pets. They will have to upload an undertaking stating that their pets will not compromise the safety of other citizens.
“We are framing a set of guidelines. A notification will be issued and offline registration will likely commence by next week. The online registration may take some time as a window on the citizen services portal will be developed for the purpose,” BMC Commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange told TNIE.
The registration will be compulsory for the existing dog owners and for residents who are planning to adopt new pets. The dog owners will likely have to pay a registration fee.
In the registration application, the owners will have to specify space for dogs and upload health certificates (vaccinations) of their pets online or submit them offline.Sources said the dog owners will also have to mention in the undertaking they will take appropriate care of their pets. Families residing in smaller residences like a 1-BHK-flat may not be allowed to keep dogs for the well being of the canines. BMC sources said lack of adequate space compels dog owners to take them outside for a walk and pet excreta can be found on the roads and near the houses of the citizens. The civic body received three to four similar complaints in the last few days, said sources.
Asked whether the civic body will restrict people from keeping dogs of certain breeds, Kulange said BMC is examining the Central Government guidelines and will consult the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services to know the rules, if any.
Recently, the district consumer disputes redressal forum in Gurgaon issued directions to Municipal Corporation of Gurugram to ban pet dogs of 11 foreign breeds with immediate effect. The direction came after a woman, who worked as a maid, was attacked by a pet dog in August when she was on her way to work. Sources said BMC is of the opinion that the registration of pets will also reduce the instances of abandoning of aging dogs by their owners.
People have welcomed the BMC’s decision to make registration compulsory of pet dogs.“Dogs are considered the best friends of human beings and play a great role to balance the mental health of pet owners during the Covid-induced lockdown. I am open to BMC’s plan of making registration mandatory for pet dogs,” said Dr Biswajit Mishra, who is a resident of Bhawani Enclave and a member of their society.
While most dogs are friendly, he pointed out a few are aggressive by nature. The owners of such breeds should ensure they are properly leashed and their faces are covered with muzzles or nets when taken out for walk, he said.