HYDERABAD: In order to curb the illegal dog breeding units and marketing of puppies, the Principal Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department Arvind Kumar, in a tweet, directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Veterinary and Animal Husbandry (V&AH) Department, with the assistance of police, to take action on all illegal units and shut them down, if they don’t comply with guidelines of the Telangana State Animal Welfare Board (TSAWB).
Arvind Kumar lambasted the GHMC for permitting the illegal breeders to operate saying that the civic body allowed them to operate illegally by bringing them under the ambit of pet shops.
The GHMC has been directed to slap notices against all the dog breeders asking them to apply for registration with the TSAWB in four weeks. Failure to obtain registration by August 15 would mean that the shops are closed down. Arvind Kumar will also be writing to social media platforms asking them not to permit illegal marketing.
In a letter addressed to GHMC Commissioner DS Lokesh Kumar, Arvind Kumar stated almost all the dog breeders in the city are operating illegally, without obtaining a certificate of registration from the TSAWB and also without obtaining a trade licence from the GHMC, and in the process, not only flouting rules but also putting the lives of those animals at stake. He directed the GHMC to coordinate with the V&AH department and respective Police Commissioner (Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda) and issue notices to all the dog breeders operating illegally for obtaining registration.
Pet shops miss deadline
On June 4, Arvind Kumar had written to GHMC Commissioner and Director of V&AH Department directing them to issue notices to all the pet shops asking them to obtain requisite registration from TSAWB in the next four weeks, failing which any licence by the GHMC, if issued, will be cancelled. Further, no pet shop should be granted a license by GHMC, unless the pet shop has obtained a certificate of registration from the State Board, in accordance with these rules.
However, even though four weeks have passed, a majority of the pet shops operating in the twin cities have failed to obtain trade licenses from the GHMC or even get registered with the TSAWB. Over 80 pet shops in the Greater Hyderabad limits have no mandatory registration under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shops) Rules, 2018.
Sources said that no pet shops have approached the GHMC for trade licences and said that trade licenses will be issued only after the submission of the registration letter from TSAWB.V&AH officials told Express that some pet shops have approached the department for the registration of their shops. Teams will be formed to inspect the pet shops, and if they fulfil the criteria as laid down in the rules, the registration will be carried out, and if they fail to fulfil the criteria, the shops will be sealed in coordination with GHMC, the officials added.