Pune Pet Guidelines Issued by District deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies

Pune: The district deputy registrar (DDR) of cooperative societies of Pune has issued a letter detailing dos and don’ts for cooperative housing societies and pet parents in the city. Issued earlier this week, the letter comes shortly after 300 cats were discovered living in a housing society flat in Hadapsar.

These instructions have been issued to avoid instances of animal cruelty and minimize inconveniences to other members of a housing society. The instructions are based on the Animal Welfare Board of India’s (AWBI’s) guidelines for dogs, both pets and strays. 

Sanjay Raut, DDR, Cooperative Societies, Pune, said that the AWBI had published detailed guidelines on dogs and their caregivers in 2015, for both residents’ welfare and apartment owners’ associations. “These guidelines are meant for both pet owners and residents alike,” he said.

The guidelines note that people must show compassion to all living creatures, as per Article 51(g) of the Constitution, and how pet owners rightfully consider their pets to be members of the family. 

“A pet is akin to a perennial toddler and therefore deserves the same attention throughout its life as that reserved for a human toddler during its infancy,” the guidelines state. “However, it is the responsibility of the pet owner to ensure that pets are not a source of nuisance to others,” they add.

“Barking is a natural form of expression for a dog and must and has to be tolerated in a society. However, incessant barking can disturb neighbours. Hence, pet owners are advised to make every effort to keep their dogs quiet, particularly during night hours,” the guidelines added.

The guidelines also state that housing societies cannot legally impose a ban on the ownership of pet dogs, noting that such a move would be illegal.