Staff dealing with dogs at wits'' end

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 19

Even a decade after the adoption of Registration and Proper Control of Dogs Bylaws, the Municipal Corporation has been unable to start registration of pet dogs in the city. In the absence of pet dog registration, the staff concerned had been facing problems in differentiating between pets and stray dogs, sources said.

According to information, the Registration and Proper Control of Dogs Bylaws were adopted by the Municipal Corporation under a resolution in 2008. But the civic body officials are still waiting for its notification, which was to be issued by the Local Government. After introducing the stray dog sterilisation project in 2015, the MC had sent a reminder to the Local Government about issuing the notification.

“Registered pet dogs should be given a metal token. The dog owner should ensure vaccination of his dog. Besides, the owner should not allow the dog to defecate in public places such as residential areas, green belts, parks and others. There is a dire need to start registration process for pet dogs. Even the MC should have the right to disqualify any person from keeping a dog, if any cruelty is found on his part,” said a former government official.

A teacher, Jagjeet Singh Mann, said: “A dead dog should be buried in notified/earmarked places in the right manner. The MC should provide a land to bury dead dogs and other animals. Now, people are forced to bury their pets at vacant plots. Even nobody bothers about removing dead stray dogs.”

The Senior Veterinary Officer of MC, Dr YP Singh, said they had not yet started dog registration process. However, the nodal officer of health branch, Ashwani Sahota, said they would start issuing challans to those who allow their pets to defecate in streets.

The MC had received a Local Government’s draft notification issued on October 23, 2017, to adopt ‘Registration for Proper Control of Stray Animals and Compensation to the Victim of Animal Attack’ bylaws 2017, framed under Section 399 (1) (E) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976. In September 2018, MC House did not pass these bylaws under which residents were supposed to get their animals (both small and big), including dogs, cats, pigs, goats, ponies, calves, sheep, cows, buffaloes, bulls and horses, registered after paying the annual fee and get registration renewed every year. 

According to the proposed bylaws of 2017, the registration fee for small animals like dogs and cats would be Rs 250 and for big animals like cows, buffaloes and others Rs 500. The licence fee for dog breeders will be Rs 2,000 per annum. 

Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu had then formed a committee to take decision on this matter. Sandhu said they would take decision on it soon.