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Journalism of Courage
The district consumer disputes redressal forum in Gurgaon Tuesday ordered the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to ban pet dogs of 11 foreign breeds, along with issuing sweeping directions on ownership of dogs as pets, such as a mandatory metal chain and token for all dogs, and one family being allowed only one dog.
Eleven breeds have been banned, with effect from November 15, 2022. These are American Pit-bull Terriers, Dogo Argentino, Rottweiller, Neapolitan Mastiff, Boerboel, Presa Canario, Wolf Dog, Bandog, American Bulldog, Fila Brasileiro and Cane Corso.
“The MCG is directed to cancel all the licence/s if any issued in this regard in favour of the dog owners for keeping the above-cited pet dogs with immediate effect and take into its custody the aforesaid dogs immediately,” the forum said.
In October, the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation too approved a proposal banning the domestication of three breeds of dogs – pit bull, Rottweiler, and Dogo Argentino. The order came in the wake of several attacks by pit bulls in Ghaziabad.
What case did the order come in?
The district consumer forum was hearing the case of a domestic help, Munni, who was attacked by a Dogo Argentino in August this year in Civil Lines. She suffered injuries on her head and following the incident, an FIR was registered.
The forum ordered an interim compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the woman.
“The medical record placed depicts that the complainant had to undergo a protracted follow-up medical treatment in Safdarjung hospital by paying repeated visits…,” it said, adding that since the owner had violated the law of the land by keeping a banned breed (Dogo Argentino) as a pet dog, the MCG was at liberty to recover the Rs 2 lakh from the dog owner.
A Dogo Argentino — like many others in the banned list — is a hunting dog. According to the American Kennel Club, “The Dogo Argentino is a pack-hunting dog, bred for the pursuit of big-game such as wild boar and puma, and possesses the strength, intelligence and quick responsiveness of a serious athlete. His expression is alert and intelligent, with a marked hardness. The Dogo is instantly identifiable by his short, completely white coat.”
What else did the forum order?
The forum also directed the MCG to make registration of pet dogs mandatory with effect from November 15, 2022, within a month and to issue licence/s in respect thereof, at a fee of at least Rs 12,000 per year with a renewal fee every year of not less than Rs 10,000 per year.
“Every registered dog shall wear a collar to which shall be attached a metal token coupled with a metal chain. The MCG is directed to require that one family will keep only one dog and that whenever the registered dog is taken to public places, its mouth shall be properly covered with a net cap or otherwise…,” the order said.
It further said that for those found violating the aforesaid provisions, his/her dog shall be immediately taken into custody by the MCG and a fine of “not less than Rs 20,000 and extending upto Rs 2 lakh” will be imposed on the violator and in default of the provisions, he will incur “imprisonment not less than one month which may extend upto two years”.
The forum also directed MCG to take all stray dogs within its limits into custody with immediate effect and keep them in dog ponds or at a place maintained by the MCG near Basai village with the help of NGOs. “For stray dogs, in case of dog bite cases, the minimum compensation shall not be less than Rs 20,000 and which may extend up to Rs 2 lakh depending on the nature and gravity of the injuries suffered by the victim,” it said, adding that the civic body was further directed to frame appropriate rules in light of these directions within three months.
What the MCG has said
Given the wide scope of the forum’s order, MCG officials said they were still analysing the directions.
