CHANDIGARH— The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) approved the long-awaited “Pet and Community Dogs Bylaws, 2025” in June, but they are still in limbo. Even though the MC gave its permission, the UT administration hasn’t sent out a notice yet, which means the new rules can’t be enforced. Officials and concerned residents are angry about this delay because they notice more dog-related occurrences, like bites, and ongoing public health problems.
The new ordinances are a big improvement over the old ones from 2010. They create a whole set of rules to deal with the problems that come with owning a pet in the city. Some important parts of the new draft are:
Larger penalty: The penalty for breaking the rules will go increased by as much as 200 times, which will make irresponsible pet owners think twice before doing something wrong.
Direct Owner Liability: If a dog hurts someone or damages property, the owner will be personally accountable.
Breed Restrictions: The rules suggest that people should not be able to own seven specific dog breeds that are thought to be dangerous: the American Bulldog, American Pitbull or Pitbull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Pakistan Bull Terrier, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, and Rottweiler.
Registration and Buffer Period: After the ordinances are sent out, owners of these forbidden breeds will have 45 days to register their pets. Not doing so could lead to fines and having your car towed.
Leashing and Muzzling: The draft says that all dogs must be on a leash in public, and aggressive breeds must also wear muzzles. People who own these kinds of dogs must also have a stick.
Public Health and Safety: Pet owners must have poop bags on hand and clean up after their pets right away. The ordinances also say that pets can’t go to busy green places like Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden, and Rose Garden. However, they can go to neighborhood parks as long as they follow certain rules.
Household Dog Limits: The rules limit the number of dogs a household can have dependent on the size of the plot. There are also rewards for adopting mixed-breed or Indie dogs.
Community Dog Management: Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) would have to set up certain areas for community dogs to eat, and feeding them outside of these areas could result in a fine of up to ₹10,000.
Disposing of Dead Pets: The bylaws say that dead pets can’t be thrown away in trash cans because it could be bad for public health. Instead, they have to be cremated or buried privately.
MC officials are worried that the delay in putting these rules into effect is causing more problems with dogs. They said that people still feed community dogs in public places and that pet owners often don’t clean up after their pets, which makes public spaces dirty. The bylaws have been in the works for more than a year and were open to public comment for suggestions. Now they are “hanging fire,” which means that the municipal body can’t implement the new rules that are so much needed.