Amid rising incidents of dog-bites and the resultant controversies in residential areas of the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Sunday asked residents to get their pets registered and warned of action on account of non-compliance.
The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act mandates the registration of pet dogs with the civic body, but residents have remained reluctant to come forward to get their pets registered, said senior officials of the veterinary department of the MCD.
“In view of an increasing number of dog-bite incidents, the MCD urges citizens to get their pet dogs registered. Under section 399 of the Delhi Municipal Act 1957, it is mandatory to register all pet dogs with the municipal corporation. The section also gives power to the MCD to detain a dog found in a public place, if a pet dog is not registered with the civic body,” the civic body said in a statement, reported The Indian Express.
MCD appealed to citizens to get their pet dogs registered at the earliest. It warned that appropriate action can be taken as per DMC Act, if people failed to comply. It clarified that the rule applies even to those who have adopted stray dogs as pets.
In Noida, Ghaziabad, and other parts of the region, several dog-bite cases have been reported in the last few days.
It is pertinent to mention here that recently the owner of a labrador was arrested by Noida police after the animal allegedly bit a 10-year-old boy in a residential complex in Sector 56. In another recent case, in Ghaziabad, a medicine delivery agent fell prey to a dog bite while off-boarding the building lift.
Also read Pitbull mauls 10-year-old boy in Ghaziabad, owner fined Rs 5,000
MCD said that the registration process helps in maintaining the exact count of pet dogs that are vaccinated against the rabies virus in different zones.
The aim of the exercise is to prepare a database of pet dog owners. It will help in controlling illegal practices like unregistered dog breeding, and monitoring pets’ vaccination schedules. In order to facilitate pet owners, the corporation is providing a convenient and hassle-free online facility for registration of dogs.
Documents needed
Documents needed to be submitted include an anti-rabies vaccination certificate, residence proof, a photograph of the animal, and identity proof of the owner.