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Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation planning new rules to regulate pet dog ownership
The proposed set of rules will make registration of all pet dogs mandatory and clearly outline the responsibilities of pet owners
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is planning to introduce new set of rules to regulate pet dog ownership, following the recent death of a four-month-old infant in Ahmedabad who was fatally mauled by a pet Rottweiler, said a senior government official close to the development speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The proposed rules will not be limited to aggressive breeds, but will cover all pet dogs. It would developed on the lines of the law introduced to tackle the stray cattle menace in urban areas and aims to give the corporation a stronger legal framework to enforce pet-related regulations, the official added.
The proposed set of rules will make registration of all pet dogs mandatory and clearly outline the responsibilities of pet owners.
“At present there are no specific rules for fixing the responsibility of pet dog owners. The new rules are will include control over pets in public spaces, cleanliness obligations, and consequences in case of attacks or bites. There will also be provisions for licensing pet ownership and requiring measures such as leashing and muzzling in public areas,” said an AMC official aware of the matter.
The rules will fix responsibility of pet dog owners and there could also limit the number of dogs owned by a household.
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The new set of rules will first require approval from AMC’s standing committee before being sent to the state government for final clearance and implementation. Like the stray cattle bill, the pet dog ownership rules also have the potential to be extended to other urban areas, including the state’s seven other municipal corporations, an official said.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation began registering pet dogs earlier this year in alignment with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023 — a central framework aimed at sterilizing, vaccinating, and managing dog populations in a humane and regulated manner.
“It is estimated that there are about 52,000 pet dogs in Ahmedabad and till now registration has been done for 5520. The deadline for registration was March but it has been extended to May 31,” according to the AMC official.
Animal welfare organisations and veterinary experts are being consulted to ensure that the legislation balances public safety with responsible pet ownership, he added.
Reacting to the developmen, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India on Friday said it has written to Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel’s office renewing its call urging the state to implement a policy prohibiting breeding, selling, or keeping dog breeds such as pit bull terriers, Rottweilers, Dogo Argentinos (Argentine mastiffs), Presa Canarios, Fila Brasileiros (Brazilian mastiffs), bull terriers and XL bullies who have been deliberately bred for fighting and aggression.
PETA India claimed that such dogs are often sold to unsuspecting buyers who are themselves attacked or otherwise cannot control the animals.
On May 12, a four-month-old girl named Rushika died in Ahmedabad’s Hathijan area after being attacked by a pet Rottweiler named Rocky. The dog, owned by Dilip Ganpat Patel, broke free from its leash while being handled by a woman — the accused’s daughter-in-law — who was accompanying it. The dog lunged at the infant, biting her multiple times on the head while she was in the arms of her 17-year-old aunt, Heena Chauhan. Rushika’s mother, Puja, is the elder daughter of Dashrath Chauhan, an 83-year-old locksmith and labourer, who later filed the police complaint. The infant was rushed to LG Hospital but died during treatment. Heena also sustained injuries in the attack.
