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Dog menace: U.P. issues SOPs to control strays, foreign dog breeds
According to the SOPs, once registered, the owners will be given a certificate of vaccination from the department
The urban development department has issued SOPs (standard operating procedures), making it compulsory to register with the municipal corporation concerned, should one want to keep a foreign dog breed as a pet. For this purpose, ABC (animal birth control) centres will be opened in every district by the municipal corporation concerned.
This is in keeping with the government order titled ‘Animal Birth Control Dogs’ Rules of 2001’ and following recent increase in incidents of dog bite cases across cities.
Principal secretary, urban development, Amrit Abhijat has played an important role in shaping the SOPs.
According to the SOPs, once registered, the owners will be given a certificate of vaccination from the department. However, people opting to adopt destitute dogs of country breeds will be able to avail the first vaccination for their pet for free. This is in accordance with a 2015 supreme court order to control the population of stray dogs in the country.
Dr AK Rao, additional municipal commissioner, animal welfare, said, “The SOP first issued in 2017 was reinforced in November this year, and the guidelines state that construction of ABC centres in all districts will take place over three phases within the next five years.
“A training centre in collaboration with Animal Welfare Board of India will also be set up by the LMC for the sterilisation of dogs, also a measure to control the population of strays. A four-member monitoring committee will also be constituted for supervision of these measures to be implemented.
“According to the SOPs, municipal corporations will have to simplify the license process. They will have to deploy extra staff for registration of dogs. Registration of dogs has shot up to 6,000 this year. Similarly, in Kanpur, around 5,000 pets are registered.
“Many dog owners don’t immunise their dogs. Hence, in case of dog bites, there are chances of people contracting rabies. So, for the safety of residents, these SOPs are very important.”
Regarding the sterilisation of dogs, the SOPs direct the establishment of ABC centres in every major district. According to figures available there are more than 20 lakh dogs across the state, while more than 60,000 stray dogs are reportedly in Lucknow. The population of stray dogs needs to be fixed in every district.
After the incident of a Pitbull attacking and killing an elderly woman in Qaiserbagh, the LMC has issued an advisory to residents who have dangerous breeds of dogs like American Pitbull, Rottweiler, Siberian Husky, Doberman Pinscher, Boxer, German Shepherd. The SOPs will also help in such issues.
Inderjeet Singh, municipal commissioner said, “If these SOPs are implemented and dogs are sterilised across the state aggressively, then we can control the population of stray dogs. Municipal corporations across the state will have to implement these SOPs to the benefit of residents.”
