A rule to leash pets with love and care

The city has been slow to implement animal welfare guidelines, so pet-related conflicts keep cropping up.

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has given a deadline of January 15 for all public and private institutions, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and Apartment Owners Associations (AOAs) to implement Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) guidelines on community animals.

“The number of dogs has increased in the city. There have been incidents of dogs fighting and even humans getting killed because of animals. Dog owners do not scoop the poop. There is no civic sense; the poop gets scattered on footpaths,” says Rakhi Anil, a resident of Bengaluru, explaining the issues associated with pets.

Some of these problems can be solved if the AWBI guidelines re-issued by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Office of the Chief Commissioner on July 22, 2024, which outline rules for feeding and managing community animals (dogs and cats) in Bengaluru were to be properly.

The document is divided into four sections: guidelines for community feeders, pet owners, residential welfare associations and apartment owners, and educational institutions/tech parks/public institutions.

The guidelines emphasise the importance of responsible feeding practices, including providing a full, healthy meal per animal per day, avoiding feeding in certain locations, and coordinating with BBMP officials for vaccination and neutering.

The document also stresses the legal obligations of residents, associations, and institutions to ensure the welfare of community animals, including providing access to food, water, and shelter and prohibiting cruelty or harassment. 

Rules for Apartment Associations and RWAs

Residential Welfare Associations and Apartment Owner Associations have been asked to ensure that bylaws do not cause any pain or discomfort to animals. Pets should be allowed in common areas with leashes, or separate lifts and pet areas can be assigned.

Associations can neither ban pets in their society nor can they be chased away or relocated. Barking cannot be banned, and no pets can be forced to use a muzzle. It is against the law and is considered cruelty. Pet parents cannot be coerced through direct or indirect methods to let go, abandon or cage their pets in any situation.

Associations have been asked to demarcate feeding spots, find feeders, designate pet walking times and report illegal breeding activities to BBMP. They must also coordinate with BBMP for dogs’ deworming, vaccination, and birth control activities. Any dog bite incidents must be reported to BBMP. Awareness programmes must be conducted by associations about handling dogs and dog bites. 

The document also discourages hatemongering related to pets and animals in WhatsApp groups and says the Associations must intervene. 

Valli Srinivasan, a member of the governing council of Bangalore Apartments Defereation, says that apartment associations do not control WhatsApp groups as it infringes on people’s freedom to express themselves. “It is not wise for associations to intrude into private groups and dictate laws,” she adds.

“The rules advocate forming a welfare committee. Doable rules should be made by calling both pet owners and non-pet owners for a meeting and adopting the pet rules by majority vote,” she adds.

Rules for pet owners, institutes

Rules ask pet owners to ensure they have sufficient space indoors and outdoors and spend enough time with them. They should clean after their pets and keep the surroundings and pets clean. Health should be handled with timely vaccination and deworming, ensuring access to sufficient clean water and nutritious food. Pets must be protected from weather extremes as well.

Institutions must provide community animals with food (once per day), clean drinking water with bowls kept at various spots, and a safe space to take shelter away from areas frequented by students.

They must facilitate students, staff, employees, and citizens feeding community animals by assigning feeding spots and feeding timings with the help of BBMP. Appropriate advisory boards must be displayed in all areas frequented by the public to feed animals in the assigned spots and to prevent dog bites.

The rules make chasing dogs and cats away with sticks or bouncers illegal. Security agencies should be trained to handle dogs and cats safely as per law. Relocation of dogs and cats, separating mother and pups, depriving community animals of access to food, water, or shelter, killing or maiming them, and any other act that can cause them distress is illegal and a punishable offence, according to the guidelines.

Sujaya Jagadish, Member of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Bengaluru Urban and a trustee of (Save Our Animals Charitable Trust, says the BBMP’s rules and guidelines look good on paper. However, “quick and proper implementation by authorities has always been the issue,” she says.

“The BBMP has engaged only one organisation to conduct awareness programmes in the entire BBMP limit. This is an impossible task since the area is large and the issue is huge. The BBMP must engage more NGOs and experienced animal care workers,” she opines.

Community feeding

The document lays out guidelines for feeding the dogs. It asks those who want to feed the dogs to maintain continuity and be accountable. One full, healthy meal per animal per day should be provided in the designated spot, and alternate-day feeding must be avoided. Night feeding and feeding dogs out of their territory should be avoided. 

Viveka, a Bengaluru-based writer, says that if one person takes care of animals, it may work fine for them. When it is community ownership, it becomes challenging to ensure the stray animals feel they belong to someone and are cared for.

It may not work well psychologically for the animal, he says. Also, many people feed different things, which may not go well for the animals in the long run.

The guidelines ask people to avoid feeding raw meat or biscuits with high sugar content, as “this makes the dogs hyperactive”.

“We see tea shops displaying boards asking not to feed biscuits or buns to streeties, mostly because it’s not good for their health. Dogs can easily get diabetic or get other health issues,” he adds.

However, Sujaya says this rule must be a bit relaxed. “There are 3 lakh dogs in BBMP limits. They are always starving. Not all dogs get biscuits. It doesn’t hurt to eat it once in a while when some compassionate human being who can afford only biscuits wants to feed it,” she says.

“When feeders are treated unfairly by the public or the RWAs, leading to violent conflicts, BBMP officials do not intervene soon enough to sort out the situation. The dogs get relocated, driven away, and many times even poisoned to death,” Sujaya adds.

ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುತ್ತಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಬೀದಿನಾಯಿಗಳು (ಸಾಂದರ್ಭಿಕ ಚಿತ್ರ)

Cut-off box - Rules for Resident Welfare Associations & Apartment Owner Associations  No bylaws that cause pain or discomfort to animals can be framed  Pets shall be allowed in common areas; separate lifts and pet areas can be assigned.  No pets can be forced to use a muzzle - it is illegal and is considered cruelty.  No pet parents can be coerced to let go abandon or cage their pets.  Associations cannot ban pets. Barking cannot be banned as well.  Incessant barking or howling can be addressed case-by-case by the association. Associations must assign a set time in the morning and evening to allow pets to be walked. Associations must report breeding activities without registration to BBMP (Helpline: 1533).  Associations must demarcate feeding spots for street dogs/cats.  If there are no feeders on the premises associations can identify a feeder externally. Coordinate with BBMP for collaring deworming vaccination and neutering.  Notify BBMP of dog bite incidents by calling 1533.  Street dogs/cats staying on the premises cannot be relocated or moved. Dogs picked for neutering cannot be released outside the gated campus.  Scaring chasing or threatening animals using sticks is a punishable act of cruelty.  Wilful hate-mongering in matters of pets and animals in society groups should be discouraged.

Cut-off box - Rules for pet owners Owners of dogs and cats must:  Verify they have sufficient space indoors and outdoors to keep pets.  Proactively declare the number of pets they own to the association if any.  Clean and groom their pets often deworm and deflea them vaccinate and neuter them. Maintain health and vaccination records  Maintain good hygiene and cleanliness inside the house balcony and private terrace  Pick after their pets and dispose of the excreta as per association guidelines or in a way that doesn’t inconvenience anyone. Ensure the lift/stairs/passageways are cleaned in case of a mess from the pet.  Use alternate lifts common areas or dedicated pet areas if provided.  Ensure pets (excluding cats) are always leashed while taking for walks.  Ensure pets have access to sufficient clean water nutritious food and timely medical support.  Provide clean and appropriate bedding for pets to rest.  Ensure none of the pets are caged or leashed or left in areas where there is no cover from extreme weather.  Ensure their pets are sterilized.  Spend time with pets and train them to avoid mishaps in public interactions.  Be sensitive to incessant barking or howling and help solve the issue.  Not allow children below 18 years of age to walk or handle pets in public spaces without adult supervision.

Cut-off box - Guidelines for community feeders  Maintain continuity: Only take up feeding animals if you can maintain continuity as gaps in feeding can make dogs and cats restless and aggressive.  Financial soundness: Ensure you are financially sound to maintain continuity.  Personal oversight: Personally oversee the feeding activity to maintain accountability.  Full meal: Provide one full healthy meal per animal per day.  Avoid alternate-day feeding: Do not feed animals on alternate days in places where there is no other food source.  Know animal laws: Keep a document about animal laws handy.  Safety: Know your rights and invest in a bodycam for your own safety. Keep your mobile with you always.  Feeding timings: Avoid feeding community animals between 11.30 pm and 5 am unless there is a beat police in your area. Avoid isolated places.  Food types: Avoid feeding community animals raw meat or biscuits with high sugar content as this makes the dogs hyperactive.  Leftover food: Avoid leaving leftover food on the curbside which can create rodent issues.  Assigned feeding spots: Get feeding spots assigned and feed only there.  Feeding locations: Avoid feeding in front of houses entrance or exit of a society basement parking area children’s play area and other areas frequented by public.  Public density: Avoid feeding when public density is high as dogs tend to get protective about their food.  Feeding territory: Feed dogs in their own territory; do not bundle them in one single place.  Conflicts: Avoid getting into altercations and opt for peaceful mediation with residents. Take the help of BBMP zonal AD and go to police only in extreme situations.  Permissions: If you are feeding in gated areas or institutes where you are not a student/employee/resident take written permission.  Vaccination and neutering: Coordinate with BBMP officials to get the dogs you are feeding vaccinated and neutered.