Jammu: If you are fond of keeping pet dogs then do not forget to get it registered in a period of one month otherwise a fine will be slapped to the owner by the Jammu Municipal Corporation in days to come.
A JMC official said that a one month ultimatum has been given to owners of pet dogs instructing them to register them, which is a mandatory process. “In case the pet dogs will not be registered within a month, action will be initiated against them and besides fine, legal action will also be taken,” he said. “Many people having pets have not registered them with the Corporation, which is an offence and such people will be dealt with strictly,” said an official.
At present, about 500 dogs have been registered in Jammu city while the number of such dogs is in thousands, he revealed and said, “annual renewal of the registration will be mandatory.”
This year registration of about 100 dogs has been renewed, which clears that many are still without proper documentation and it prompted the JMC to take a call. The Corporation will soon be taking the cognizance to prevent cruelty against animals and aware people on following the guidelines and adhere to the norms, he said.
“Registration has been made mandatory under the Animal Birth Control Rules 2001 and the J&K Municipal Corporation Act 2000,” he said, adding that legal action will be taken against those who will not obey the orders.
“Those running animal clinics in the city have also been asked to get registered. Under the J&K Municipal Corporation Act 2000, the fee for registration has been fixed at Rs 500 and for renewal at Rs 300 per year,” he said.
The steps are taken to make Jammu city rabies free, prevent cruelty against animals, control dog population, maintain record of dogs identity, and make city clean. Interested persons can log on to www.serviceonline.gov.in/Jammu for registration. “Registration and sterilization of all dogs, especially female dogs, has been made mandatory and the owners have to get their pets registered to prevent action,” he said. He further added that after the last date of registration, teams will carry surprise visits in the city to check the registration of pets. Earlier also in 2020, JMCI issued the notification in mid of July and it is a 45 days period appealing dog lovers to register their pets in the scheduled time otherwise they can face a fine.
“If dog will be registered, it will also ensure that whether it is vaccinated against rabies or not,” said the officer adding that the registration fee has been fixed @ Rs 500/- besides annual renewal @ Rs 300/- while the forms are being provided free of cost, which are available at Corporation’s Veterinary wing and are also made available to the pet clinics within the municipal jurisdiction. “Once the dog gets registered, the owner will be provided a booklet to maintain vaccination record of the pet, a metal token with a registration number, which will be helpful in tracing missing pets,” he said.
“We often receive complaints from police and locals about pet registrations in dog bite cases but we are helpless as the owner in most of the incidents cannot be identified due to which action cannot be taken,” he said. “One more important factor involved in this exercise is to check on breeding of female dogs to control the population of canines,” he added.
