A pet owner shall have to pay a hefty fine if his/her dog bites anyone or defecates in a public place.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has come up with a set of new rules governing pet dogs.
“An owner of a dog who violates these bye-laws shall be liable to be punished by Registration Authority with a fine, which may extend to Rs 10,000 and if the violation is of a continuing nature, then with an additional fine which may extend to Rs. 200 per day, for a maximum of 7 days for the breach continues,” the bye-laws read.
“Also, if the dog is seized/detained under these bye-laws, the owner shall have to pay maintenance charges @ Rs. 200 per day to claim the dog. However, if the breach continues beyond 7 days or the dog is not claimed within 7 days, the registration shall be liable to be canceled by the Registration Authority and the seized dog shall be disposed of through open sale. If an owner of the dog violates any of the conditions of these byelaws at least three times in a calendar year, the registration of the dog shall be canceled,” it added.
An animal lover can keep a maximum of two dogs. But for this, registration with the BMC is mandatory. If someone brings a dog from outside, then he/she has to do the registration within a week.
If the pet owner wants to take his canine friend out, they have to put a belt around its neck. And they also have to hang the registration number or plate.
If their pets get old, they can’t leave them by the roadside, the rule says. And, if they take their dogs to any shows, they will have to inform the BMC office well in advance.
In case, a pet dog bites any outsider or causes damage to an outsider’s property, the pet owner has to give a certain amount towards a fine.
However, the BMC’s new rule didn’t go down well with the animal lovers.
