Leash mandatory in public places, feeding only at marked spots in Noida pet dogs policy
“The authority must implement this policy strictly so that incidents involving dogs can be addressed,” said PS Jain, president of confederation of Delhi-National Capital Region RWAs, an umbrella body
NOIDA The Noida authority on Monday finalised a policy that fixes the responsibility of pet owners, officials, and other stakeholders with regard to pet as well as stray dogs and cats.
After discussions with apartment owners’ associations (AOA), resident welfare associations (RWA) and other social groups, as well as in line with provisions of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), Noida finalised and put the same into effect beginning from December 12, said officials. The policy, which was approved in the 207th board meeting on November 12, defines the penalties and legal action for offences that are not in accordance with the policy pertaining to pets and stray animals.
The policy prohibits pet owners from taking pets to public spaces without a leash. It says pets have to be on a leash if they are taken out of the house at any time of the day and also cannot be left unsupervised. Wherever possible, pets have to be taken in service lifts, the policy states.
“According to AWBI guidelines, pet owners should exercise extreme caution while taking their pets in lifts and use muzzle if possible for the safety of others in the lift. If the pet dog litters in a public area, it will be the pet owner’s responsibility to scoop the poop or clean up after their dogs,” states the policy.
If a pet defecates in parks or other common areas in a society, a fine of ₹100 will be levied on the pet owners for the first offence, ₹200 for the second offence and ₹500 for the third time.
“After the board approved the policy, we sought objections from RWAs, AOAs and other social bodies. We have modified the policy according to their suggestions before it is finalised for implementation,” said Indu Prakash Singh, officer on special duty of the Noida authority.
The policy says the authority will sterilise and vaccinate stray dogs in each sector and village in consultation with RWAs or AOAs or a five-member committee in a village. The authority is also tasked to make a dog shelter in sectors or other sites on the demand of RWAs or AOAs to take care of unwell or aggressive stray dogs, to protect people from dog bites.
Dog feeding points will be made by the authority in consultation with AOAs or RWAs and feeding at public spaces will be prohibited, the policy states. Once such feeding points are earmarked, it will be mandatory to place a signe stating “street dogs to be fed at this point only”.
“Food and water at these feeding points will be arranged by the respective RWA, AOA and feeders. The authority can ensure regular cleaning once the feeding points are earmarked and informed. Feeding cannot be done in or around a flat, corridor, basement or common area or in front of anybody’s house or gate,” states the policy.
If a pet dog or cat is registered on or before January 31, 2023, then ₹500 fee will be charged as registration amount. If registration is delayed for a month, then ₹200 more will be charged and if it is delayed for more than two months, then ₹10 per day penalty will be imposed, said officials. If an unpleasant dog bite case happens, then the pet owner will pay ₹10,000 as fine and also take care of the medical expenses of the victim, said officials. For illegal dog breeding in a flat or other premises, then ₹5,000 fine will be imposed, the policy states.
“The authority must implement this policy strictly so that incidents involving dogs can be addressed,” said PS Jain, president of confederation of Delhi-National Capital Region RWAs, an umbrella body.
“We welcome the policy to regulate dogs and cats. But the Noida authority must also recruit adequate staff that are properly trained to deal with the implementation of this policy. The policy should be implemented uniformly without any laxity. We have seen in the past that the authority was unable to carry out sterilisations and vaccinations properly,” said Ajay Singh, a pet owner and a resident of sector 130.
Calls for a policy for pet and stray animals were made after a rise in dog bite cases in Noida. In Gurugram, too, residents have approached authorities seeking a policy for dogs after a spate of dog bite cases.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on November 30 had stayed a Gurugram district consumer court order directing the Gurugram administration and municipal corporation to impose a “one family,one dog” rule and to impound all stray dogs in the city. The consumer court’s order had come on a plea filed by a woman who was bitten by a pet dog, seeking punitive action against the owner of the dog.
The consumer court had also banned 11 foreign dog breeds and ordered that licences to keep these canines be cancelled and the animals be taken into custody, after which the civic body had said it will issue notices to owners to give away or shift their pets to locations outside of Gurugram.
Experts had said the order was unconstitutional and in direct violation of the Supreme Court’s order and several high court orders that recognise animals as having rights similar to humans with various protections under the law.
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