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Good News For Bengaluru Dog Owners: Controversial BBMP Law Withdrawn
Dog lovers won’t have to worry about their pets anymore.
Dog owners in Bangalore were a relieved lot on Thursday (21 June), as the BBMP withdrew the controversial notification regarding pet licensing, reports Deccan Chronicle.
The Karnataka High Court had yesterday directed the Palike to inform within a day its decision on the notification issued under the BBMP (Pet Dog Licensing) By-laws 2018.
According to the notification which has now been withdrawn, only one approved dog could be kept in a flat, while an independent house could not have more than three dogs as pets. The regulation also mandated owners to get a license consisting of a radio collar with an embedded chip. A pet parent had to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 if the dog didn’t have a license.
Widespread concerns had been expressed after this notification was issued, and a Bengaluru-based teacher, Indira Gopal Krishna and animal rights groups had challenged the February-28 notification.
The PIL contended that if the Palike’s new rule was followed, pet owners would be forced to abandon some of their dogs on the streets. They alleged that the notification had been issued without any public consultation and that many of the local breeds have been left out from the approved list.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari had directed BBMP counsel V Sreenidhi to instruct officers to take a clear stand as the issue has emotional over-bearings apart from core legal issues to contend with.
The state government on Thursday submitted before the Karnataka High Court that the BBMP has withdrawn the notification after BBMP received requests from animal lovers and pet owners in the city. The state also submitted that the law will be re-examined after taking suggestions from all concerned. Following the submission, the High Court disposed the case and asked the petitioner to suggest measures to curb the larger issue of regulation.
The by-law had created panic among pet parents earlier this month, and they had taken to different forms of protest, including online protests like #NotWithoutMyDog on Twitter and Facebook.
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