Make policy for pet dogs, pay ex gratia of ₹2 lakh to dog bite victim, consumer forum tells MCG

The forum also directed the MCG to take the canine -- a Dogo Argentino, which is a breed banned in India -- into custody and to cancel the licence of the owner with immediate effect

The district consumer dispute redressal forum on Tuesday ordered the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to form a policy within three months for keeping pet dogs at home, and also directed the civic body to pay an interim compensation of ₹2 lakh to a woman, who was critically injured after being attacked by a pet dog near the PWD guest house in Civil Lines on August 11.

The consumer court of Sanjeev Jindal gave liberty to the MCG for realising the compensation amount from the dog owner, who lives in a bungalow on the Civil Lines. (Representative Image/Getty Images)

The consumer court of Sanjeev Jindal gave liberty to the MCG for realising the compensation amount from the dog owner, who lives in a bungalow on the Civil Lines.

The forum also directed the MCG to take the canine -- a Dogo Argentino, which is a breed banned in India -- into custody and to cancel the licence of the owner with immediate effect.

Citing a central government notification, the forum also banned 11 foreign dog breedsand ordered that licences to keep these canines be cancelled and the animals be taken into custody.

“As per the notification of government of India date 25.4.2016 the following pet dogs of foreign breeds are hereby completely banned with immediate effect w.e.f. 15.11.2022 which are as follows: American pit-bull terriers, Dogo Argentino, Rottweiler, Neapolitan mastiff, Boerboel, Presa Canario, Wolf dog, Bandog, American Bulldog, Fila Brasileiro and Cane Corso. The MCG is directed to cancel all the licence, if any, issued in this regard in favour of the dog owners for keeping the above cited pet dogs with immediate effect and take into its custody the aforesaid dogs,”the order said.

The forum also directed the MCG to keep all the stray dogs in its jurisdiction in dog pounds, after taking them into custody with immediate effect.

However, stray dogs are protected under Section 38 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960. Also, according to the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, dogs cannot be relocated or removed from their territory.

Vijaypal Yadav, deputy municipal commissioner said, “We will look into what the order states with regard to stray dogs.”

“In the interest of justice, an amount of ₹2 lakh is ordered to be paid as compensation by way of interim relief by the MCG to the victim,” the forum said, adding that the woman is stated to be a financially weak household help.

It also observed that the dog owner had blatantly violated the law by keep as pet a banned breed of dog, the Dogo Argentino. “So the MCG is put at liberty to recover the amount of ₹2 lakh from the owner of the dog,” the order read.

The victim Munni and her sister-in-law Beauty Khatoon were walking on the pavement on the morning of August 11 on their way to work when the dog suddenly attacked them. Munni was rushed to a government hospital in Sector-10A and later shifted to Safdarjung hospital where she had to undergo surgeries to correct the severe injuries to her head, neck and limbs.

The owner was later booked in a FIR registered on Beauty’s complaint at Civil Lines police station.

Appearing for the victim, counsel Sandeep Kumar Saini had filed a complaint in the consumer court under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, seeking a compensation of ₹20 lakh.