Noida to come up with policy for dog-related concerns

Following multiple conflicts and protests, the Noida authority held a meeting on Thursday to draw up a ”dog policy” of sorts for the city, including the construction of 18 stray dog shelters with the consent of the respective residents’ welfare association (RWAs) that will eventually manage it

Following multiple conflicts and protests, the Noida authority held a meeting on Thursday to draw up a ”dog policy” of sorts for the city, including the construction of 18 stray dog shelters with the consent of the respective residents’ welfare association (RWAs) that will eventually manage it.

Noida, India – October 20, 2022: A street dog sleeps outside a house in Delhi-NCR. Days after a two-year-old was mauled to death by a stray dog, the Noida administration is working to finalize a ‘dog policy’ in the city, in Noida, India, on Thursday, October 20, 2022. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The authority will also earmark two or three feeding points in all sectors and around societies -- these will be areas not frequented by residents -- where people can feed the dogs. A list of dog feeders in each area is also being prepared and the authority has asked people to volunteer to feed the strays.

Officials said complaints and conflicts among residents related to dog attacks have seen a sharp rise in the past three months and, in most cases, the complaints have been attributed to unclear policies regarding management of stray dogs as well as aggressive or ill tempered pets.

“We have received inputs from several groups of dog lovers, RWAs, and those residents who do not want stray dogs around residential areas. People say we need to have a policy to ensure that the aggressive dogs are moved away in a humane manner. So we have decided on some immediate steps,” said Indu Prakash, officer on special duty (OSD), Noida authority.

The new shelters will be constructed by the Noida authority and they will eventually be managed by RWAs with the support of dog feeders. More shelters will be added as per the demand, the OSD said.

“These will come up in sectors where RWAs have volunteered to manage them. In other areas, people are coming forward to help fund the shelters as long as these are away from residential apartments. We will look for shaded spots that are safe and hygienic for dogs,” said Prakash.

Additionally, a three-month roster will be made and circulated among residents about days when sterilisation will take place in their areas, and teams carrying out sterilisation will also be increased, officials said.

Currently, there are two teams that conduct sterilisation in Noida. Officials claim that about 10 to 12 dogs are sterilised daily and around 1,000-1,200 dogs are sterilised each month. However, sources said the actual number is way lower as the authority has not been able to hire any permanent agency for the job since March 2021.

Prakash said they will also conduct a dog survey to get a count of strays in the city. She said there has never been a dog census in the city and the city’s stray dog population is estimated to be around 70,000, of which about 40,000 have been sterilised since 2017.

Officials said steps will also be taken to manage pet dogs. On the lines of Ghaziabad, pet registrations will be made mandatory and fines will be imposed if people are found keeping pets without registering them. Additionally, stringent rules will be made regarding keeping ferocious dog breeds such pit bulls and rottweilers.