Bengaluru's 'One Pet Per Flat' Rule Angers Pet Parents, Start #NotWithoutMyDog Campaign on Social Media

The civic body of Bengaluru got in new rules for pet parents in the city that has angered many. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) issued a notification that limits the number of pet dogs a resident can keep. Apartment residents can keep only one pet and those who have their own independent houses cannot keep more than three dogs. Calling it outrageous pet parents have expressed their displeasure on social media.

Along with the restrictions on the number of pets, there are other rules regarding dog licences, radio collars with embedded chips, and sterilising the pets. If the pet is not licensed the owners will have to pay a fine of Rs. 1000. An unlicensed pet will be seized by the civic body. The move of the civic corporation has been opposed widely on social media and pet parents started the hashtag #NotWithoutMyDog. Along with the campaign, there is also a petition against the new dog ownership rules on Change.org. The petition reads "The petition says, “BBMP, why punish responsible pet owners instead of backyard breeders?” 10,000 plus people have signed it by now.

Check how people on social media have started the campaign #NotWithoutMyDog:

If you ask me give one of them up, you'll have war! @bbmpcommr @BBMP_MAYOR #notwithoutmydog #NotWithoutMyDogs pic.twitter.com/VxA98ochmU

— Mandy Vasudevan (@MandyVasudevan) June 6, 2018

#notwithoutmydog@BBMP_MAYOR

The one dog one apartment Proposed rule is unacceptable .we want this withdrawn immediately @siddaramaiah @hd_kumaraswamy @rajeevgowda @krishnabgowda @thekjgeorge @dineshgrao pic.twitter.com/oIOzoWdYHq

— Dipali Sikand (@SikandDipali) June 5, 2018

People even compared pets with children and asked BBMP if they would ask parents to part with their children.

#NotWithoutMyDog Which idiot came up with this hare brained idea? For many of us dogs are like our children. Would you ask us to give our children away?

— Vinita Nayar (@Vinivixen) June 6, 2018

@BBMP_MAYOR @BBMPCOMM

Pet owners in apartments are already facing enough issues, why are you making their lives even worse? Why one dog one apartment? Why not number of children per house then? Have the law makers taken leave of their senses?

First ban breeders #NotWithoutMyDog

— naveen (@naveen_y90) June 6, 2018

There are a lot of other issues that need attention!

#NotWithoutMyDog

Clean our city of the breeder menace first, @BBMPCOMM; Outlaw pet shopping, the purchase of breed puppies; Attack the real problem, the flesh trade of breed pets, instead of running amok over our constitutional rights. @BBMP_MAYOR pic.twitter.com/wbZL0MYyR6

— Rekha Saleela Nair (@rekha_s_nair) June 6, 2018

Hmmm who do I choose? Really #BBMP your forcing me to make a choice? I choose to fight you and protect my family! Who are you’ll to come into our homes and tell us who we can have as a family? Go solve real issues first. #notwithoutmydog #Bangalore #cubbonparkcanines pic.twitter.com/JNuhgqOGcN

— Prarthana Prathap (@PrarthanaPrath3) June 6, 2018

It is indeed a sorry state on the pet owners, genuine ones who have been in a fix to choose between their furry babies. People have even taunted the BMMP as to why not put a restriction on the number of children a house can have. As a pet owner with two dogs, it is not a choice I'd want to make for choosing one among my two dogs. If I as a family am able to tend to both my dogs with equal care then it should not be a concern for intervention in keeping them in my house. Plus the enforcement of this move will only lead to an abandonment of the many dogs and cause more problems. Rather than encouraging adoption and ensuring other care facilities, this move encourages abandonment. A city corporation should rather concentrate on improving amenities than targetting pet dogs.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 07, 2018 12:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).