Friday, 26 November 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Teams of MCD to identify such violators who do not clean up after their dogs soil public places.
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) has geared itself up to impose penalties on the dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets defecate in public places. A pet dog owner can be charged from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 from December, if he or she fails to clean up after their dogs.
Dog owners letting their pets defecate in public places without worrying about any consequences have become a common scenario in the city. Such actions not only make the city filthy but also are the cause of several diseases.
However, the corporation has decided to discourage pet owners from pursuing this practice anymore. The MCD has decided to conduct a regular checking campaign across the city to identify the violators. The officials said that the corporation is already conducting a campaign against dog owners without valid dog licenses during mornings and evenings and the teams will do the same to identify such violators who do not clean up after their dogs soil public places. The officials said that there are many dog lovers in the city but most of them lack the basic civic sense to keep the city clean. “Most of the people involved in such practices are well-educated people who must be aware of civic sense but they still let their pets soil the public places.
We have received complaints that many dog owners come out with their dogs to take a stroll in the early morning or late at night and let them defecate outside their houses. The confrontation by the complainants mostly leads to fights that many tend to avoid. We have decided to take action against such violators,” said the chief municipal health officer Dr Kailash Joshi. He said that the team members will start a campaign next month. However, he added, the corporation’s priority will remain to raise awareness among locals against the issue first. They will also encourage them to carry bags to clean up after their dogs defecate in open areas. If the violators repeat the offences despite the warnings, Joshi said that the corporation will take legal action against them besides imposing hefty fines.
