Gurugram, December 10:The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has sparked a controversy with its public notice regarding "destruction" of unclaimed dogs.

Recently a public notice was released by the corporation listing rules governing pet management which suggests dogs being detained will be "destroyed and disposed of" if unclaimed within a stipulated period. Supreme Court Denies To Hear Plea Seeking Protection for Stray Dogs; Says ‘Keeping Dogs Does Not Mean, You Will Affect Lives of People’.

The notice, which lists the rules under Haryana Municipal Act Section 311 (Registration and control of dogs)and advisory of the Animal Welfare Board of India reads: "Registration of pets is mandatory. All pet dogs in public places must wear a collar with a 'metal token'. Any dog found not wearing the dog will be detained and placed in a designated shelter. If a person does not claim the dog within a week or pay the detention fee, the dog will be destroyed or destroyed," read the orders. The notice has stunned pet owners and animal rights activists, who have demanded an immediate rollback.

"The order is being misinterpreted. We are not going to kill any dog. We cited section 311. MCG will work on the rehabilitation of abandoned pets, community and stray dogs. We are just streamlining the process. Pet owners just to register pets and follow norms," Vijaypal Yadav, the deputy municipal commissioner said. Stray Dog Attack in Ghaziabad: 11-Year-Old Girl Bitten by Canine in Vaishali, Incident Recorded in CCTV (Watch Video).

"This is inhuman. How can any authority kill a dog? The civic authority needs to rehabilitate stray or unregistered dogs and not kill any animal. The notice is against animal rights and needs to be withdrawn immediately. Government should look into the matter," Devika Vaid, a resident of Gurugram society said.

On November 15, the district consumer disputes redressal forum in Gurugram issued directions to MCG to ban pet dogs of 11 breeds. On November 30, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the order.

Pet owners claimed that despite the High Court stay, the MCG was harassing and threatening pet owners by citing arbitrary guidelines. MCG has issued registration forms for issuing licences for pet dogs in areas under its jurisdiction. One can collect the forms from the Sector-34 MCG office. Pet owners will be charged a fee of Rs 500 for registration.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 10, 2022 07:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).