Rules to put a leash on pooping pooches awaiting govt approval

You might squirm and shout at the sight of dog owners letting their pets poop near your house. That’s about all you can do, for there is no rule that prevents this nuisance. A draft rule to penalise dog owners who let their Tommies or Brownies defecate out in the public, has been gathering dust for five years.

Vinay Kumar, a resident of Indiranagar, has routinely got into arguments with dog owners who let their dogs poop near a tree in front of his house. He has even been verbally abused a few times. With rough estimates putting the number of pet dogs at over a lakh in the city, concern of citizens like Vinay is real.

Proposed late in 2011 by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), there has been little progress on the draft. Former Joint Director (Animal Husbandry), BBMP, Dr Parviz Ahmad Piran, during whose tenure the proposal was made, said: “It was cleared by a standing committee and even the council. It was then sent for approval to the government (Department of Urban Development), where it is stuck. Despite two to three reminders, there has been no progress till I handed over charge,” he said.

Once implemented, the rule will make dog owners liable to pay a fine if found guilty of such nuisance. Maheshwar Gouda, Joint Director (Animal Husbandry), BBMP, said: “The draft rules have a portion called “Scoop the Poop” which talks about dog owners’ responsibility in picking up their dog’s faeces. The rules says that they will be fined Rs 100 for the first offence. The next time, it will be hiked,” he said.

Gouda added that rules would be implemented in less than a year. “While the rule may be implemented, enforcing it may be difficult. There is a rule against urinating in public but one finds people flouting it everywhere,” he added.

Sandhya Madappa, trustee, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) is however of the opinion that while the implementation of such a rule to prevent open defecation by dogs is welcome, awareness about it is needed and that would still take time.