Dog owners in Srinagar now have to register their pets with the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, failing which they will be fined, and could even lose their animals.
A circular issued by the municipality has asked dog keepers to give in writing details about the age, breed and the source they have got the pets from.
“This is to ensure the dog population does not multiply tangentially and the female dogs are sterilised,” Dr Tauheed Ahmad, municipal veterinary officer told News 18.
This comes as amid a spike in dog bites, an issue flagged by residents regularly.
Owners are required to get their pet dogs registered in accordance with Section-304 (Regulation and Control of Dogs) of the Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000 and Section-3 of Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2001 in the office of the undersigned, the order read.
Pet keepers have to pay Rs 500 for the registration and then Rs 300 fee every year to the municipality which will keep a watch on the hygiene and population of the pets.
It can intervene in the case of a female dog bearing five to seven pups in a single pregnancy.
Ahmad said pet dogs contribute to four per cent of the bites in Srinagar municipal limits which has shown a steady spike over the years.
“The registration is being done to make owners responsible towards the pets. The municipality will remind pet keepers to get their dogs vaccinated. People who get bitten by such dogs are covered financially,” Ahmad said.
The veterinary section of the SMC that Ahmad heads believes there would be more than 1,000 pets within the municipal limits of Srinagar.
During Covid-19, the proportion of pet owners increased here.According to Ahmad, in 35 wards of the city there would be an estimated 60,000 street dogs.
“A Rajasthan based organization is doing a fresh census and they will soon come up with dog count,” he said.
The municipality would give a licence to pet keepers after registration and officials in the ward would pay periodic visits to such households to check if the pet is vaccinated.
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