Not registering pet dog may cost you Rs 5,000

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 24

Not registering your pet dog may cost you 10 times more as the Chandigarh Administration is likely to notify new penalty soon.

Sources said the Local Government Department of the Administration had sought some clarification from the Municipal Commissioner (MC) before notifying the new penalty.

An MC official said they would soon reply to the clarification sought by the department. The MC General House had approved the proposal of enhancing the penalty for the non-registration of pet dogs from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 last year. The the final nod from the Administration is awaited.

Meanwhile, the drive of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation in this regard failed to get the desired results as only half of the owners have got their pet dogs registered with it.

As per data, only 400 dogs have been registered in the past eight months. Till July 2018, there were 6,991 pet dogs in the city. The number has gone up to 7400 so far.

In the last livestock census, which was held in 2012, the numbers of pet dogs were recorded around 10,000.

As per the Chandigarh Registration of Pet Dogs Bylaws – 2010, it is mandatory for dog owners to register each pet at the Municipal Corporation office, once the canine is four-month-old. Only two dogs are allowed per family.

RK Garg, president, Second Innings Association, said in the absence of a consistent drive by the MC, the bylaws have lost their purpose. He said people were not coming up for the registration to avoid punishment.

KK Yadav, MunicipalCommissioner, Chandigarh, said he had called a meeting to review the implementation of the bylaws next week, in which all other issues would be discussed.

What bylaws says

• Pet animals cannot be taken to any public garden or Sukhna Lake. Pet dogs should not be allowed to defecate at public places.
• The owner needs to ensure that a collar with a metal token issued by the registering authority is tied around the pet’s neck.
• In case a dog defecates at a public place, the owner shall arrange to get the dog’s excreta removed.
• Any registered dog straying at large will be seized and kept at a place set apart for this purpose.

Nod awaited

• The MC General House had approved the proposal of enhancing the penalty for the non-registration of pet dogs from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 last year. The the final nod from the Administration is awaited.
•  As per data, only 400 dogs have been registered in the past eight months. Till July 2018, there were 6,991 pet dogs in the city. The number has gone up to 7,400 so far.