In Gurugram, import details of foreign breeds put dog registration on hold

An Municipal Corporation of Gurugram official said details of the importer were required in case of a foreign breed, but pet owners don’t seem to have it

The registration of pet dogs with civic authorities in the city has hit a hurdle, with the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) seeking documents about importers who flew in foreign breeds and the pet owners not being able to furnish them.

Even as pet owners have been protesting the move, the municipal body has been accepting the registration forms but put the issuance of certificates on hold.

A senior MCG official, requesting anonymity, said the details of the importer were required in case of a foreign breed as per a notification of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry dated April 25, 2016, but none of the pet owners seem to have it.

“We are in consultation with senior officials in the State and Central governments over the matter to seek a possible solution. The primary aim is to get the dogs registered. An announcement will be made soon. Meanwhile, we are accepting registration forms, but not issuing the certificates,” said the official

The municipal body had, in a notice earlier this month, said that all dogs within the jurisdiction of the MCG be registered as required under Section 311 of the Haryana Municipal Act-1994. The notice followed the order of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum last month directing the civic body to ensure the same.

The order had also banned eleven foreign breeds as pets and directed the MCG to take them into custody, besides restricting only one pet per family. The order was later challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which stayed it.

The MCG’s registration form seeking documents about foreign breed importer has evoked protests, with pet owners demanding the order’s withdrawal. “The registration of dogs is a welcome step. But when the breeding of dogs is so unregulated in the country, how can the municipal body expect us to provide the documents in the name of the importer? It is absurd,” said Rakesh Yadav, a pet owner.