MC Explains: Can housing societies charge for keeping pet dogs inside residential projects?
MC Explains: Can housing societies charge for keeping pet dogs inside residential projects?
Bengaluru’s municipal body says it is unauthorized and even illegal to charge for keeping pet dogs inside housing projects; it is working on an updated pet policy for the registration of pets in the city.
After a resident welfare organization (RWA) in Bengaluru decided to charge Rs 10,000 as “registration fees” for keeping pet dogs in apartments, the man-animal conflict has once again come to light.
The costs, which consist of a refundable deposit that must be paid by November 15 at the latest, are levied by the RWA of Ittina Mahavir, a housing complex located in Electronic City, north Bengaluru, individuals with knowledge of the matter informed Mazz Troo.
After the tenant leaves the apartment, the fees will be reimbursed. In addition to the costs, the RWA has established stringent rules regarding pet wandering within the community.
Several activists and lawyers claim that this is becoming a bigger issue in Bengaluru as the city’s real estate industry keeps expanding.
Maztro spoke to several experts to understand if RWAs can charge for keeping pets inside their apartments.
What do experts say?
While this is an isolated event, more associations are levying similar fees, according to Thejeshwar, an animal welfare officer at Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, or CUPA.
“We have been working on the rescue of strays for years and have come across several societies that charge, if not registration, maintenance fees to allow dogs inside the housing projects; they even have it in their association bylaws,” he stated.
However, a lack of clear guidelines from the local bodies escalates the issues.
The chief veterinarian at PFA Wildlife Hospital in Bengaluru and a former DIg, Col. Nawaz Shariff, stated that these notices or circulars have no legal standing.
“The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and local NGOs should be contacted right away by the residents who are experiencing such problems. The AWBI will have the ability to file lawsuits and issue notices to the RWA, Shariff continued, “while the local NGOs can move quickly.”
What does the local municipal body say?
Such regulations are not only unapproved but also against the law, according to Dr. Manjuanth Shinde, Assistant Director of Animal Husbandry at the municipal organization Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
“The BBMP has established basic principles, and pet parents are required to provide for their animals and ensure that their assaults do no damage. The policies of BBMP explicitly state that the owner has the responsibility for handling charges in the event of an assault. But it’s illegal to collect such registration fees,” he stated.
Shinde continued by saying that in situations like these, locals can get in touch with the AWBI or the Bengaluru chapter of the SPCA, which is managed by a team of animal activists and rescues working under the direction of the state government.
Experts assert, however, that Bengaluru’s present pet policies are antiquated and call for immediate action from local authorities to stop the confrontation between RWAs and homeowners from getting worse.
Shinde continued, “The local municipal body is already working on clear guidelines for residential projects as well as an updated pet policy for pet registration in Bengaluru.”
“The proposal is pending with the urban development department and will be released soon,” he said.
