E-Paper
Spurt in dog owners seeking license after PNN makes it mandatory
A team of veterinary department officials has been tasked with surveying the different municipal zones in order to figure out how many pet dogs live in the city. Due to the efforts of the department, pet owners are now seeking licenses.
The Sangam city has seen a spurt in people seeking a license to keep pet dogs in the past two months. This comes after efforts by Prayagraj Nagar Nigam (PNN) to enforce the law that makes it mandatory for an owner to obtain a license for their pet dogs.
The veterinary department officials have constituted teams to survey different municipal corporation zones to learn about the number of pet dogs in the city. Following the efforts of the department, pet lovers are now approaching the authorities for licenses.
As per an estimate, around 10,000 pet dogs are owned by people in Prayagraj in different localities, including in Civil Lines, Chowk, Georgetown, Cantonment, Naini and Jhunsi. A license for keeping pets has been mandatory for many years, but only a small percentage of pet owners used to get one.
As per records, only 465 people had taken a license for keeping pets during the last two years. In the absence of a license, dog keepers often do not follow the conditions that are mandatory for keeping pets. This often resulted in problems for other residents of the locality.
The veterinary department of Prayagraj Nagar Nigam has now taken concrete steps to ensure that all pets are registered by their owners.
The veterinary department has formed teams in eight zones in Prayagraj for surveying the number of pet dogs and if their owners have obtained a license for them.
“The team first asks the pet dog owners to obtain a license for their dog at the earliest. However, if the dog owner fails to comply, then action will be initiated against them which may include a fine and an FIR against them,” an official said.
Due to the efforts of veterinary teams, 105 dog licenses have been issued in the past two months.
Nagar Nigam’s veterinary officer Dr Vijay Amrit Raj said the fee for a pet license is ₹630. “The license can be obtained while following the first condition that the dog is vaccinated, and secondly, the owners should ensure that they clean their pet’s litter after taking it out for a walk,” he said.
