There are 26,900 pet dogs in the city, according to a recent census carried out by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from October 2007 to January 2008. Yet, this city has only 4,204 licensed dogs, states a reply from the BMC to a Right to Information (RTI) query submitted by Newsline.
If the BMC's census figures are to be believed, then Section 191 B of the BMC Act, 1888 is being broken by both the municipal corporation and owners of unlicensed dogs. Interestingly, the BMC is also flouting the Act with respect to licensed dogs by not providing dog tags for the animals.
According to the section, “When the owner or person in-charge has paid the tax leviable on pets, the commissioner shall grant him a licence to keep the dog during the official year for which the tax has been paid, subject however to such conditions as may be specified by the commissioner." The BMC must also provide the owner with a "number ticket, the number of which shall be specified in the licence". Furthermore, the owner of the dog “shall at all times cause the said number ticket to be kept attached to the collar or suspended under the neck of the dog".
Strict penalties are specified for unlicensed, or licensed, dogs without dog tags.
The Act states that any dog which has no number ticket attached "or kept in contravention of any other condition specified in the licence shall be presumed to be a dog in respect of which no licence has been granted" and may be detained by the "police or any officer authorised by the commissioner" till the tax is paid.
Explaining why more than 22,000 pet dogs have not been licensed, G T Ambe, BMC joint executive health officer, said, "Problems like shortage of staff has not helped us function properly. We now aim to license at least 10 dogs per day so that at least 20,000 dogs are licensed in a few years."
On why licensed dogs are not issued dog tags, Jayaraj Thanaker, executive health officer, said, "I really don't know if tokens are to be issued to dog owners and why it has stopped. The joint executive health officer could throw some light on it." Ambe said, "Every licensed dog does have a number recorded in its book. But I don’t know why tags are not issued anymore."
Activists pointed out that properly licensing dogs helps make the city safer for the general public, because only vaccinated dogs can be licensed. Abodh Aras of Welfare of Stray Dogs, said, "In fact, licensing is important for a pet owner as a rabies control measure." He said a country-wide study done a few years ago indicated that unlicensed pets contribute largely to the spread of rabies in the country.
Over the past few months, the BMC, urged by several residents, has attempted to enforce a poop-scooper rule and fine dog owners who don't clean up after their pooch in public. However, with only 4,204 dogs licensed, the BMC would find it difficult to enforce the rule on all 26,900 pet dogs as there is no proof they are pets. The owner of a licensed dog said, "If enforced before proper licensing, poop-scooping would harass the only people who care to follow the law. They should first license all the pet dogs, then enforce the rule."
Recently, mayor Shubha Raul had even said that the BMC was thinking of increasing the annual pet dog licence fee 25-fold.
But some wondered why the BMC would make existing licensed dog owners pay heavy fees without first going after unlicensed pets. Sanam Karunakar, owner of two dogs in Grant Road, said, “It would be ridiculous to charge owners Rs 5,000 annual fee. This will only discourage people from licensing their pets. Unable to pay the price, many may even start abandoning their pets.”
Aras added, "A yearly fee of Rs 100 is not a big deal for most people who keep a dog. But many don't know that their dogs have to be licensed. Also, there are only four dog licensing offices in the entire city, which makes it very cumbersome for dog owners." A door-to-door visit by the BMC officials urging people to license pets on the spot may be the only way to get more dogs licensed, Aras said.
Shirin Merchant, editor of Woof magazine, added, "Besides, what do pet owners get for licencing their dogs? This city doesn't offer any benefits to them." Aras stated that in some localities, like Bandra's Carter Road, there are dog-walking zones. "Such zones should be made at different locations, so dog owners can walk pets freely," he said.
Meanwhile, some even doubted the BMC's census figures. The BMC had announced that in three affluent wards, the population of pet dogs exceeded that of strays. D Ward (Malabar Hill to Pedder Road) recorded 1,507 pets and 1,489 strays; G South (Parel) had 465 pets and 441 strays; and H West (Bandra to Santacruz) had 2,028 pets and 1,815 strays. Incidentally, an official at H West said only 853 dogs were registered there, again showing the laxity in licensing.
Merchant asked, "I wonder how the census was done? Nobody visited my home to count my pets. How many homes did they visit, in which areas and in which order?"
BOX
* The BMC charges Rs 100 for every year of a dog's life for first-time licences. This would mean the owner of a seven-year-old dog pays Rs 700 to get a license and Rs 100 every year after that to keep renewing it.
* In addition, owners must also pay a one-time fee of Rs 150 for the licence book.
* All owners must present proof that dogs have been given shots before licensing.
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