Delhi: Get your pets registered, MCD tells people amid incidents of dog bites

Senior officials of the veterinary department of the MCD said that the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act mandates registration of pet dogs with civic body, but “residents have remained reluctant to come forward to get their pets registered”.

“In view of increasing number of dog-bite incidents, the MCD urges citizens to get their pet dogs registered. Under the section 399 of Delhi Municipal Act 1957, it is mandatory to register all pet dogs with the municipal corporation. The section also gives power to the MCD to detain a dog found in a public place, if a pet dog is not registered with the civic body,” the civic body said in a statement.

There is also a provision of fining pet owners and even carrying out prosecution, it said.

“We appeal to citizens to get their pet dogs registered at the earliest, otherwise appropriate action can be taken as per DMC Act. The rule applies even to those who have adopted stray dogs as pets,” it added.

Several dog-bite cases have been reported in the last few days in Noida, Ghaziabad and other parts of the region.

A senior official of the MCD said that the registration process helps in maintaining the exact count of pet dogs that are vaccinated against the rabies virus in different zones. It will help in tracing a missing pet with the help of a registration number that the dog will sport.

The purpose of the exercise is to prepare a database of pet dog owners, control illegal practices like unregistered dog breeding, and monitor pet’s vaccination schedules, the statement said.

“In order to facilitate pet-owners, MCD is providing convenient and hassle-free online facility for dog registration. Documents that are needed to be submitted include anti-rabies vaccination certificate, a photograph of the animal, residence proof and identity proof of the owner,” the MCD said.