Bhubaneswar: Beware dog owners in Bhubaneswar. Henceforth, if your pet dog attacks or bites anyone, be ready to pay a hefty penalty for the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has introduced a set of new rules regarding pet dogs.
The new rule passed by the civic body on Saturday is christened Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (Registration and Proper Control of Dogs) Bye-Laws 2023. As per the new rules, every pet dog owner will need to pay a heavy fine if their pet bites anyone or defecates in public places.
“Dog owners who violate the bye-laws will be punished by Registration Authority with a pecuniary fine, which may extend up to Rs 10,000, and if the violation is recurrent, then the dog owner will have to pay an additional fine that may extend to Rs 200 per day, for a maximum of 7 days if the breach continues,” the bye-laws stipulates.
“In addition, if the pet dog is seized or detained under these bye-laws, the owner will need to pay maintenance charges @ Rs 200 per day to claim the pet. On the other hand, if the breach continues beyond 7 days or the dog is not claimed within 7 days, the registration may be cancelled by the Registration Authority and the seized dog shall be disposed of through open sale. If a dog owner violates any of the conditions of the new byelaws at least thrice in a calendar year, the registration of the dog shall be canceled,” the new rules read.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (Registration and Proper Control of Dogs) Bye-Laws 2023 says that an animal lover can keep a maximum of two dogs and registration with the BMC is mandatory for this. If a person brings a dog from outside, he/she has to complete the registration within a week. Similarly, if the owner wants to take his pet out, he/she will have to put a belt around its neck. In addition, it is mandatory to hang the dog’s registration number or plate around the neck of the pet.
If the owners want to take their dogs to any shows, they will have to inform about it the BMC office well in advance.
