Now, the pet dog owners are required to get a licence from the municipal corporation in the city of Gurgaon. Although the municipal Act had mandated a licence for pet dogs almost a decade back, many municipal corporations have yet not implemented it.
The pet dog licence has been made mandatory in Gurgaon after Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune.
As per the civic authority, 12 licences have already been issued in last one month. They said that more licences would be issued in the coming days.
The civic authority claimed that the move will help in controlling dog biting incidents in the city.
The pet dog owners will be required to fill an MCG form and submit a sterilisation certificate. They are also required to furnish a certificate from veterinary doctor mentioning that the dog was given anti-rabies vaccination.
There will be a fee of Rs 500 for the licence. The licence will be renewed every year. MCG will charge Rs 250 for renewal. There will be strict action against the pet dog owners who will not get a licence from the MCG.
People from other areas in the Delhi-NCR also reacted to the MCG’s new rule.
Alok Kumar, President of Federation of Apartments Owners Association (FedAOA), welcomed the decision taken by MCG. He said that people should strictly follow the new rule as it will help in lowering the dog biting incidents. “I would be happy if this rule is implemented in Ghaziabad as well,” he added.
Animal activist and a resident of Dwarka, Deepak Verma said, “Licensing should also be there in Delhi. This is a very good step from MCG. If MCG has started it then this is a welcome move.”
“Such licensing gives the owner legal rights and also the authorities to manage the pet dogs. Besides, it also protects the people from dog biting incidents. In foreign countries, they use a microchip and it is mandatory. Such a move must be accepted by all,” he added.
“As a policy analyst, I suppose the subject of pet licencing should be looked from both humanitarian and administrative point of view. While Animal Welfare Board clearly defines a pet as “a perennial toddler” and agrees that the pet owners rightfully consider pets as a member of the family, licencing for a family member seems to be an eerie idea.” said Abhishek Bhattacharya who is a resident of Noida.
“Imagine you have been asked by the authorities to get a licence before having a baby. That's how the pet owners feel. Secondly, from an Administrative standpoint, while it seems the whole idea is of pet licencing has been taken from foreign countries,” he said.
“The Indian Administration also needs to adopt the ancillary systems associated with the pet licencing. For example, does the policy answers whether after taking a licence, the RWAs will not ban pets in India, directly or indirectly? Will the licence be able to save the pet owners from harassment? Will there be a fund which will be established to treat the pets at subsidised rates, akin to subsidised hospital facilities in India?” he added.
