Leave Fido or Moti unattended and see it being auctioned

If your pet animal is found roaming unattended the streets of Delhi, it could be picked up and sold by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), reports Neelam Pandey.

If your pet animal is found roaming unattended the streets of Delhi, it could be picked up and sold by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

According to the MCD, the staff of the veterinary department will seize the animal and if the owner does not get the animal released within seven days of seizure, they will auction it.

As per MCD’s licensing policy for pet shops to be tabled in the standing committee for approval on Wednesday, it has the right to do so under section 418 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act (DMC), 1957, that pertains to seizure of certain animals.

As per section 418, if a quadruped — for legged — animal or bird is found abandoned and roaming or tethered on any street or public place, MCD officials can seize the animal and shift them to a place appointed by the civic agency.

The cost of impounding the animal or birds and of feeding them will be recoverable by auctioning them.

“The owner of the animal or bird should come forward to claim them within seven days of the seizure,” said a senior MCD official. “They will have to pay us the cost incurred in impounding the animal and feeding it for seven days.”

The civic agency has formulated a licensing policy for pet shops to regulate privately operating individual/groups of pet shops who are carrying out sale of pet animals within the jurisdiction of MCD.

The aim of the policy is to ensure that animals are adequately supplied with food and water; are not sold at a tender age and all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent unnatural death and spread of infectious diseases.

“If a shop is seen violating rules more than two times, their licence will be cancelled. A person will have to be 18 years of age to apply for a licence,” added the official.