Registration of pet dogs is set to become costly in Chandigarh as the municipal corporation (MC) has proposed to increase the registration charges from ₹200 to ₹1,000.
The agenda will be tabled during the House meeting on June 29. As per the official note prepared by the medical health officer of MC, the registration fee was fixed at the time of approval of Chandigarh Registration of Pet Dogs bylaws in 2010.
As these bylaws have been in place for the last eight years, the current registration fee seems to be too small an amount, given that the registration fee is valid for the lifespan of the dog. The amendment in the bylaws has been proposed in order to increase the registration fee of pet dogs.
Exact number of pet dogs still not known
According to the bylaws, it is mandatory to get pet registered in Chandigarh. There are other provisions such as a person can’t have more than two pet dogs. He/she can’t take it to public parks. But these rules are hardly adhered to, in the wake of weak regulation.
MC has so far registered 6,600 pet dogs in the city ever since the bylaws were framed in 2010 but the number is believed to be inaccurate. As per a rough estimate, there are more than 15,000 pet dogs, but the MC is yet to conduct a pet dog census.
An official on condition of anonymity told HT that in the past they started a drive for pet registration but the exact population can’t be known till the itme pan-city census is done. “The decision is a policy matter, which MC top officials need to take,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}An official on condition of anonymity told HT that in the past they started a drive for pet registration but the exact population can’t be known till the itme pan-city census is done. “The decision is a policy matter, which MC top officials need to take,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}In the past, MC challaned people for not registering their pets, but the exercise is not regularly followed.