‘Silent protest sent out clear message to authorities’

BENGALURU:Pet parents can heave a sigh of relief as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has withdrawn the pet bylaw which had put a cap on the number of dogs and breeds citizens can possess.
Sujish Kumar, a media professional who had adopted two Indies – Cooper and Bailey – posted a family picture on social media and captioned it, ‘Saying a happy bye bye to the by-law! #notwithoutmydog’. Now, he says he doesn't have to worry while shifting homes. "If I shift apartments, the owner might have been fine with pets, but the neighbours might have had problems. Now, we are happy that we can keep both our dogs and they can happily roam without fear," he says.

That their voice have been heard makes the group happy. "Now, I don't have to disguise my pug, Puglee as a sheep, like a meme that was going around during the protest, portrayed," says Reena Chengappa, pet parent to two dogs and a cat.

"It was uplifting to see the urban development authorities listening to us. It shows how everything can be solved through dialogues. Some BBMP officials had come to Cubbon Park to speak with pet lovers," she says, adding that her pets now can feel safe at home. "Home should be a safe place for family, not someplace where authorities could come and snatch our pets away. Everyone has been fighting for the cause including people who did not have pets or feared them. "Everyone believes in equality. Some were even ready to leave the city than part with their pets. Although it was a silent and respectful protest against BBMP, the message was loud and clear. It just shows the power of social activism," she says.

On the other hand, Danny Mehra, pet parent of two dogs, never worried about the bylaw because he was confident that it would be withdrawn. "I had heard about it, but I didn't take any step to understand them. I found them to be mindless and knew that it would never be implemented. It wasn't constitutional. If the issue is with the breeders, the authorities should come up with measures to curb them instead of passing a blanket law that affects responsible and loving pet parents," he says.