Bangalore Establishes Committee to Revise Pet Licensing Bylaws: A Step Towards Enhanced Regulation

The BBMP established a committee to create new bylaws expressly for pet licensing to address these issues and enhance the licensing procedure. 

This committee, which is made up of a variety of officials and specialists, has the responsibility of updating the current regulations to make sure they are thorough, efficient, and consistent with animal welfare.

By forming this new committee, the BBMP Act 2020 will provide a stronger framework for dog breeder licensing, which addresses the shortcomings of earlier attempts.

Back in 2020, Provisions for dog breeder licensing fell under the authority of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bill, 2020. Regarding the application of these provisions, there were objections and difficulties. Due to several problems, including insufficient regulations, a lack of enforcement mechanisms, and worries about animal welfare, earlier attempts to license dog breeders were met with criticism and delays.

We want to make it a reality this time , stated senior city officials.

“This time, the rules are more practical and are firmly oriented towards civic responsibility and welfare of the dogs,” stated Priya Chetty Rajagopal, a pet dog owner who participated in the second round of consultations and led the charge against the previous version of the licensing rules.

The committee is said to be composed of representatives from the state animal husbandry department, the BBMP, the urban district administration, and a veterinary college professor. The report will be prepared by the committee and sent to the BBMP, which will convey it to the government for approval. The draft rules will likely be published soon and opened for public consultation, sources said.

Bangalore’s past with pet licensing

A formal pet licensing system has never been in place for the city body. They had a pet dog registration system in place decades ago, primarily to make sure that their dogs weren't confused for stray dogs. They had created draft bylaws and presented them to the state earlier in 2021. But since it was so full of loopholes, animal activists demanded that it be canceled, and the government delayed approving it.

The previous draft, according to animal activist Arun Prasad, called for varying license payments according to the categories of canine breeds—giant/large, medium, and small/toy breeds—as identified and defined by private body parts. According to him, the statutory body in India regarding pets is the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). It has the authority to proclaim the provisions. The BBMP formerly limited the number of dogs in a household to three, but the AWBI has not released any guidelines limiting the number of dogs per family.

Based on their behavior, the BBMP also designated some breeds as violent breeds and those that couldn't be raised in apartments or other multi-housing units. A few breeds that BBMP fit within this group were German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and Hounds.