Mysuru: An interaction was held with pet owners, NGOs and the officials of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) yesterday where pet owners questioned the ‘One Apartment, One Pet Dog’ proposal of the MCC and termed it unrealistic.

Interaction was held at People For Animals (PFA) premises in Bogadi where MCC elicited opinions from participants regarding the MCC’s plans to issue mandatory licences to dog owners.

Following the footsteps of BBMP, the MCC plans to bring in a rule where licences for pet dogs will be mandatory. The BBMP is in the process of implementing the pet dog licence rule with the main clause being the limitation on the number of pet dogs that can be reared — only one pet dog per apartment. However, the MCC’s proposal has not gone down well with pet owners who have termed the proposal of one dog per house as illogical and the MCC is going beyond its jurisdiction in formulating such rules.

Replying to the concerns, Assistant Director of MCC Veterinary Dept. Dr. S.C. Suresh said, the MCC has not proposed to restrict the number of dogs.

“What we are intending to do is provide proper facilities to dogs. Some dogs are domesticated in cramped places with no ventilation. Some owners let loose their dogs and it becomes public nuisance. We want to restrict all this. Also, the owners must provide proper medical facilities to dogs,” he said.

He said that there were many instances in city where pets have bitten the people and the MCC had got many complaints. Dr. Suresh told pet owners that if they had planned to have more than three dogs, arrangements for the same must be planned when the house or an apartment is built. Proper facilities like light and ventilation should be provided to dogs at such enclosures, he said.

He told the participants that before the implementation of rules, the proposal will be placed before the MCC Council for approval and later it will be sent to the State Government. As the proposal is in initial stage, Dr. Suresh asked pet owners and NGOs to submit their objections before the rules are implemented.

PFA Trustee Savitha Nagabhushan, volunteer Namitha and others were present.