Bhubaneswar dog owners to be fined Rs 10,000 in case of dog bite

Bhubaneswar: Owners of dogs in Odisha capital will be fined Rs 10,000 in the case of dog bite incidents. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has passed new laws in this regard.

The draft bye-laws approved by the civic body has been forwarded to the Housing and Urban Development department. It will be notified after approval is received from the department.

As per the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (Registration and Proper Control of Dogs) Bye-Laws 2023, an owner of a dog who violates these bye laws shall be liable to be punished by Registration Authority with a fine, which may extend to Rs. 10,000.

If the dog is seized/ detained under these bye laws, the owner shall have to pay maintenance charges @ Rs. 200 per day to claim the dog.

As per the norms, a person must not keep a dog that is older than four months unless such person acquired an annual registration for the dog and has paid the annual registration fee.

On registration, the owner shall be supplied by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation with a metal token/ tag/ chip having name and address of the owner engraved on it and the owner shall cause the dog to wear it at all times a collar with the metal token/ tag/ chip.

Person keeping stray dogs will be exempted for paying registration fee.

The owner of the dog is required to pay of Rs. 500 for registration of dog with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.

Furthermore, the owner of the dog shall not allow the dog to defecate in public places such as residential areas, green belts, parks, streets, roads, road berms and other common places etc.

In case the dog defecate at the above specified places, the owner shall arrange to get the excreta of the dog removed from the said place at his/her own level. The owner of the dog shall take his/her dog to defecate in the isolated areas which are not visited by the residents and other members of the public.

No owner shall allow the dog to defecate near the residences of other persons, his/her neighbors to his/her/their annoyance.

If an owner of dog violates any of the conditions of these byelaws at least three times in a calendar year, the registration of the dog shall be cancelled.