Mohali: Dog bylaws Issued but Rarely Observed

The Mohali Municipal Corporation initially announced its plans to fine pet parents who were violating the pet dog bylaws from June 1, 2022, onwards. However, more than a year later, not a single person has been fined.

The pet dog bylaws were initially introduced in August 2021; however, a mere 1.5% of the city’s 20,000 pet dogs have since been registered. Registering your pet dog was a mandatory requirement according to the pet dog bylaws. The situation looks grim when you add to this the fact that no fines have been issued despite obvious violations.

According to the bylaws, dog owners who have bought their pets within the Mohali Municipal Corporation’s jurisdiction must register their new dog within a week of its arrival. There is a one-time registration fee of INR 100 and an annual fee of INR 100. Pets must be vaccinated and must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate to be eligible for registration. The vaccination record and health certificate must be submitted along with a registration form to the Mohali MC’s office in sector 68. Once a pet is registered, the owner will receive a metal token which contains the owner’s name and address. This tag must always be worn by the dog on its collar.

While launching the registration process in November 2021, Mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu stated that people not registering their pet dogs will have to pay INR 100 for one-month delay, INR 200 for delay of two months and a penalty of five times the renewal fee will be imposed if they continued to ignore the process. If a pet dog is found loitering, it may be detained and a fee of INR 5,000 will have to be paid for its release, along with ?500 as daily feed charges. If the dog is repeatedly found straying, the penalty will be INR 10,000.

Satvir Singh Dhanoa, former president of Citizens’ Welfare and Development Forum, Mohali, criticized the MC for a lack of action against violators. “The issue has been raised in the MC House meeting several times, but no concrete step has been taken,” he said. On the MC’s part, medical officer health Dr Sanjeev Kamboj said, “We will be starting a drive for registration of pet dogs very soon. Violators will face action.”