Pets can be taken out for walks during lockdown, Maharashtra govt tells HC

The PIL had also sought directions to the police to allow people to feed stray animals during the lockdown and to allow movement of veterinary ambulances and private vehicles to take ailing animals to veterinary hospitals.

Maharashtra government has informed the Bombay high court (HC) that the pets are allowed to be taken outdoors 20 minutes daily while citing the Animal Welfare Board guidelines issued on June 1 amid the easing of nationwide lockdown restrictions, which were enforced on March 25 to contain the spread of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

A man plays with his pet dog as black cloud hovers over Mumbai skyline at Madh Island, Malad. (Photo by Samson Tupdal/HT PHOTO)

However, the state authorities have said that the 20-minute slot would vary from one neighbourhood to another, and the same rule would not be applicable to containment zones.

Later, a separate circular will be issued on pets’ outdoor movement in the containment zones.

State advocate-general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told the two-member division HC bench, comprising chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice AA Sayyed, about the government’s circular for pet owners while responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by animal rights activist, Vineeta Tandon, who had sought the court’s directions to the state authorities regarding the lifting of restrictions for pets’ movement outdoors amid the pandemic.

Kumbhakoni said the circular has partially lifted the restrictions.

Kumbhakoni said the Animal Welfare Board, which is a statutory body constituted under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, had issued the guidelines for taking pets to outdoors daily for a stipulated period of 20 minutes, despite the prevailing lockdown restrictions.

The PIL had also sought directions to the police to allow people to feed stray animals during the lockdown and to allow movement of veterinary ambulances and private vehicles to take ailing animals to veterinary hospitals.

Additional government pleader Manish Pabale requested the court that all the pleas raised in the petition had been addressed and the PIL could be disposed of.

The court said it would pronounce its order later after it heard the submissions of the state government and the petitioner.