Uttarakhand: NOC from Neighbours Required for Pet Dogs in This Town

Pet Parents in Uttarakhand who reside in the town of Rudrapur will now require a green signal from their neighbours before keeping a dog. In a bid to promote responsible pet ownership and address community concerns”, the Rudrapur Municipal Corporation in the Udham Singh Nagar district has now decided to enforce the Dogs License Fee Act 2022, which highlights the necessity for people to obtain permission from their neighbours.

The RMC estimated that only 37 out of roughly 4000 dogs in the city have been registered with the municipal corporation, showing a certain negligence regarding the rules and regulations passed. The RMC will now make the obtainment of a NOC from a neighbour before renewing or getting a dog license. If objections are raised by the neighbours, the license may be cancelled.

Health officer of RMC, Harsh Pal Singh, said, “A pressing concern about pets in the city is that they leave waste in public places like roads, parks and sports grounds. Unregistered dogs, which roam about freely and create unsanitary conditions for residents, are a major part of the problem. To address the situation effectively, the RMC is set to expedite the implementation of the act.”

He continued, saying “To obtain a dog license, one will have to pay Rs 500 every year. The proposed rules include strict penalties and fees for violations, such as a late license renewal charge of Rs 100 after a delay of three months and a fine of Rs 700 for failure to register dogs that are aged above three months Not having the mandatory token around a dog’s neck can also result in penalties or even the pet being seized by the RMC”.

The RMC will be sending out notices to colonies, societies, and RWA’s in the city to spread awareness about the newly implemented regulations and how to avoid a penalty while being a responsible pet owner. The new rules come as an effort to curb the instances of complaints against pet parents, and to better safeguard the public from the recently rising stray dog issues.