Maha AWB to submit action report on Bibwewadi pet parent harassment case
Following complaint about pet parent harassment in a Bibwewadi housing society, AWBI official has written to MAWB directing the latter to submit an action report on the alleged case
PUNE: Upon receiving a complaint about pet parent harassment in a Bibwewadi housing society in October this year, member-secretary of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), Prachi Jain, has written to member-secretary of the Maharashtra Animal Welfare Board (MAWB), Shailesh Kende, directing the latter to submit an action report on the alleged case of harassment. Meanwhile, the MAWB has issued direction to the district animal husbandry department to verify the complaint, and will submit the action report after due process, a senior official from the MAWB said.
The incident occurred in the last week of October this year when during the annual general meeting (AGM) of Chintamani Residency Cooperative Housing Society in Bibwewadi, some society members demanded that pets be banned from the society premises. A resident of the society sought help from an NGO named Shashwat Foundation on the matter, and the NGO contacted the society chairman about the same. At the same time, a complaint was registered with the AWBI on October 30, 2024. Taking cognisance of the complaint, the AWBI on November 18 directed member-secretary of the MAWB, Kende, to submit an action report on the same. The MAWB on November 21 issued notice to the district animal husbandry department to verify the complaint and said that it will submit the action report after due process.
When contacted, Ankush Parihar, deputy commissioner, district animal husbandry department, said that he is not aware of this particular case. “However, we keep getting complaints about feeding points in society premises in the city. More than pets, these complaints are about stray dogs. After getting these complaints, our officials visit the premises and try to resolve the issue with the mutual consent of society members,” Parihar said.
While the animal husbandry department gets maximum complaints regarding mistreatment of stray dogs, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) gets maximum complaints regarding the pets’ nuisance in housing societies.
Sarika Funde, chief veterinary officer, PMC, said, “Every day, we get complaints from citizens about the pets’ nuisance in housing societies. Most of these complaints are about cleanliness, noise, animal hair and animal bites etc. In the guidelines issued by the AWBI in 2015, the responsibilities of pet owners and housing societies have been finalised and as per the guidelines, pet owners need to obtain a licence from the PMC for which certain procedures need to be followed. Now that both registration and renewal procedures can be carried out online, it benefits pet owners.”
“Many a time, we observe that pet owners do not follow guidelines concerning cleanliness and lifestyle. In that case, the PMC has taken action through the ward offices. As we are getting more complaints nowadays, I have ordered all ward officers to check whether or not the guidelines regarding pets are being followed properly. Action will be taken if anyone is found violating these norms,” Funde said.
Animal lovers spar with society residents over keeping pets
Janhvi Kulkarni, a resident of a housing society in Dhayari, said, “Keeping pets in housing societies, especially smaller ones where the common area is also small, is troublesome. I have seen that pet owners often neglect cleanliness while keeping pets. In our society, a pet owner feeds his pet in the open and after feeding, the leftovers remain as is. Even after complaining to him, he does not seem to care at all.”
Anagha Rashinkar, a resident of Sadashiv Peth, said, “In our society, pets defecate in the open which is a serious concern and society members keep complaining about it.”
However, Jasmine Dahiwal, animal lover and resident of Kothrud, said, “Owning a pet has multiple benefits. However, there are genuine concerns raised by citizens. I have observed that many dog owners hire dog walkers who keep talking on their mobile phones and do not care about the dogs they are walking. Pet owners should be careful while hiring dog walkers. Also in small housing societies, smaller dog breeds are a better option as they do not require so much space.”
Rahul Deshmukh, animal lover and resident of Pashan, said, “In many societies, pets are not accepted by society members and pet owners often face a lot of harassment from other residents.”
Shrikant Gaikwad, animal lover and resident of Sangvi, said, “There are guidelines for both housing societies and pet owners. People should be open minded enough to accept pets in housing societies. However, not many people are ready for this and keep complaining. Some societies even go to the extent of banning pets from the premises. People should learn to accept pets as family members of the owners…”