Owners have to get licences for pet dogs in Mangaluru

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, April 4, 2016: Pet dog owners in the city will now have to compulsorily obtain licence from the Mangaluru City Corporation soon.

Chances are that if you let your pet dogs out in the city without a ‘collar tag’ given by the corporation, it may be considered as a stray dog.

 

The licensing system will come into effect after two months as the corporation council approved the proposal in its meeting on March 31. It would have to be ratified by the council in this month’s meeting before making the proposal a reality, sources in the corporation said.

The move is to reduce the menace of stray and mad dogs in the city in two phases. The first phase is to make owners obtain licence compulsorily and the second step is to sterilise those licensed to reduce the chances of owners letting the puppies out on the streets. However, the sterilisation will not apply to the licensed dog breeders.

While submitting an application for licence, the owners should produce the certificate of vaccination against rabies issued by a veterinary doctor, either government or private. The annual licence fee would be Rs. 300 per dog. The corporation would provide collar tag along with licence every year. The licences would have to be renewed before March. Late renewal would invite a Rs. 25 fine per month.

The corporation is yet to decide the modalities of sterilising dogs. The council has left it to a 11-member dog welfare committee of the corporation to take a decision on it. It is yet to decide whether to sterilise the pets by organising annual camps on its own or appoint a non-governmental organisation to do it and ask the owners to produce the certificate from it during the renewal of licence.

The committee has been constituted as per the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

According to Rajanna, Assistant Director, Government Veterinary Hospital, Mangaluru, as per the 2012 animal census there were 12,459 domestic dogs under the jurisdiction of the corporation. The animal census was done once in every five years. The next animal census is scheduled in 2017.


Rs. 300 licence fee per dog

It has to be renewed every year before March

Rs. 25 fine per month for late renewal