The Kozhikode Municipal Corporation is working on a bylaw governing pet animals, which the civic body expects to implement within a month.
The corporation had earlier drafted a bylaw for pet dog owners, making a licence mandatory. However, with the recent Kerala High Court order making licence mandatory for owners of cattle and pets, the corporation was forced to amend the existing bylaw.
“We have revised the bylaw, and the health standing committee has accepted it. It needs to be approved by the finance standing committee before being presented at the council meeting for final approval,” said Dr. V.S. Sreeshma, veterinary surgeon associated with the corporation.
It was on July 14 that the High Court issued an order making licence mandatory for all pets. The order came against the backdrop of increasing incidence of mistreatment of animals by owners, abandoning, and absence of care during old age. “The order encompasses cattle owners such as dairy farmers and others who own pets like horses and cats,” Dr. Sreeshma said.
The Kozhikode Corporation had drafted a bylaw for dogs when it opened the Animal Birth Control Centre at Poolakkadavu, as a means to protect owned dogs. It was sent to the State government for approval, but there was apparently no feedback. According to that bylaw, the licence fee for dogs was ₹500 for one year, during which the owner has full responsibility of the pet, including administering the rabies vaccine. Under the revised bylaw, the licence fee for each pet may be different.
The pets found abandoned on streets are now protected by animal lovers, though demand is rife to set up a shelter for them.
