Pet owners in Bhubaneswar will have to shell out penalties up to ₹10,000 if they flout rules as mentioned in the new draft bye-laws of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
According to these rules, any dog owner who makes his pet defecate in public places such as residential areas, parks, streets and roads, does not get the excreta removed, keeps dog chained/leashed, does not get the pet vaccinated and abandons them, will have to pay penalty of up to ₹10,000 and additional fine of ₹200 per day.
According to the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (Registration and Proper Control of Dogs) Bye-Laws 2023 which is yet to be announced, all dog owners have to get their pet compulsorily registered with the BMC following which a metal token/tag/chip having name and address of the owner engraved on it will be given.
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The owners have to get the dog to wear it at all times.
{{/usCountry}}The owners have to get the dog to wear it at all times.
{{/usCountry}}According to the bye law, a certificate from a veterinary doctor confirming its vaccination for rabies and a sterilization certificate from the veterinary doctor need to be submitted with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation before the registration.
“The chip will contain all details like the name and address of the owner. According to the new rule, the owners will ensure hygiene and make sure that others are not getting disturbed because of their pet animals. Any dog without collar or chips if found on the streets or beyond the house of the owner will be detained,” said BMC Mayor Sulochana Das.
“The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will not be held responsible for any loss, damage or injury caused by a registered dog to any person or to his/her property and sole liability to compensate the victim/ livestock will remain with the owner of the registered dog,” the bye law said.
The latest guidelines came a month after state animal husbandry minister Ranendra Pratap Swain directed all chief district veterinary officers to remove all stray dogs from the streets following the death of a five-year-old boy by a stray dog in Hyderabad.
According to the livestock census done by the ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying in 2019, Odisha with 17.34 lakh stray dogs had the second largest number of stray dogs while Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 20.5 lakh stray dogs.
According to a reply by central government in Lok Sabha, the state saw 57,354 dog bite cases till November 30 last year.