Mixed response to new BBMP rules for strays and pets

The new BBMP guidelines about feeding community animals and handling pets in residential areas haven’t been received all that well by Bengalureans. While some find the 21-point document sensible, others dub it impractical and even unscientific.

As per the guidelines, people should take up the task of feeding animals only if they can do it continually. They should create feeding spots in their areas and feed the animals after 5 am and before 11.30 pm (unless there is beat police around).

Under the guidelines for apartment associations, pets on leash must be allowed in common areas and lifts. If possible, separate lifts and pet areas must be assigned to ‘reduce conflicts’. Residential welfare associations (RWAs) and apartment bodies cannot influence pet parents to abandon or cage their pets or ban them.

Anirudhha Ravindra, director of Praana Animal Foundation and animal welfare warden with Karnataka Animal Welfare Board, is concerned about the guidelines on feeding animals every day. Consistent feeding can affect their survival instinct, he argues. “The document says animal feeders must coordinate with BBMP officials of respective zones to get the dogs vaccinated and neutered. How practical is this?” he asks.

Restricting feeding hours is also challenging. He explains, “While safety might be the concern, many people find time to feed animals only at night. What will happen to animals (dependent on them)?” he says.

The document suggests calling 1553 in case of a dog bite but doesn’t explain the process thereafter, he adds.

Animal rights activist Sujaya Jagadish also finds the document “concerning”. “The guidelines around feeding timings, the kind of food to feed, and creating feeding zones are not practical,” she explains.

She says the civic body should consider funding the feeder community in a bid to keep community dogs safe and healthy.

Sandhya Madappa is a trustee of Second Chance Sanctuary, a non-profit to rehabilitate dogs. While she appreciates some of the guidelines, she would also like the civic body to come out with serious directives with heavy fines. “Some apartment associations make unreasonable demands like asking pet owners to pay a fee to keep their pets,” she makes a case.

Apartment associations and animal welfare groups were some of the stakeholders involved in the process of formulating these guidelines, Vikram Rai tells Metrolife. He is the president of Bangalore Apartment Federation, which was involved in these discussions.

“These guidelines seem reasonably balanced. They avoid unnecessary jargon and legal language which often polarises people,” he says.