BBMP: Implement community animal rules by Jan 15 or else...

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Resident Welfare Associations (RWA), Apartment Owners Associations and other private institutions are being instructed to follow the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)’s community animal guidelines by January 15 next year. The BBMP has issued a simplified version of guidelines from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) that encompasses all the do’s and don’ts as per Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 and the high court as well as Supreme Court orders. This comes even as many RWAs and apartment owners are yet to implement the rules in letter and in spirit.

The recent high court order for stringent pet guidelines and dog bite management has re-emphasized the need for implementation of these guidelines. The guidelines largely cover key points on: Pet animal management, assignment of feeding spots for community dogs, educating residents about animal laws and animal rights, and dog bite management. Despite the guidelines being rolled out, issues related to relocation of community dogs & cats, banning of pets, depriving food & water to animals by harassing community feeders, filing of false dog bite cases, and animal cruelty cases have been reported.

All public and private offices, tech parks, schools and colleges, parks and shopping malls have been directed to implement the rules. Post January 15, 2025, officials from the animal husbandry department will conduct surprise audits to check the status of implementation.