Mumbaiites, all BMC-run admin services for your pets in one place now

Good news for pet owners and pet lovers. Instead of running to different departments for any administrative need related to your pet, you can get them all under one roof now. For effective management and convenience, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has created a new and separate department for veterinary health in the city in Khar (West).

Administrative services related to pet licensing, veterinary hospitals and clinics, a diagnostic lab for zoonotic diseases, Deonar abattoir, cattle welfare, pet shops, cemetery and incinerator for dogs and cats and animal census will be taken care of at the Khar (West) headquarters.

Earlier, administrative services related to domestic and stray animals were handled by different departments such as health and shops departments.

Until the new department building is constructed, the temporary office will be at Deonar abattoir. As per the 2012 domestic and stray animal census, the city has over 40,500 animals.

A senior civic official said BMC has set aside ₹14.5 crore of its annual budget for animal welfare.

Dr Yogesh Shetye, general manager of Deonar abattoir, one of the biggest slaughterhouses in the world, said, “More than 300 diseases that affect human beings are spread through animals. Diseases such as rabies, anthrax, swine flu are caused by animal excreta, low-quality meat and animal food.”

Under the budgetary allocation, BMC plans to build a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital at Mahalaxmi with a capacity of 300 small animals such as cats and dogs. It will also hire 11 more veterinary doctors in addition to the 28 existing ones.