Dog lovers protest Surat's 'neighbourhood approval' rule for pets

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-07-01 12:54:50 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-07-01 10:39:13

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 0

---

Dog lovers protest Surat's 'neighbourhood approval' rule for pets, calling it chaotic and unfair. Animal rights advocates argue that the rule will lead to confusion, and unfair denial of pets to responsible owners, and potential to encourage illegal street animal activity.

Last week, Surat joined the growing list of Indian cities implementing bizarre rules for keeping pets. Residents of the city now need written consent from at least 10 neighbours and the president of their housing society before they can keep a dog as a pet.

"The decision has triggered protests from animal lovers in the city, with many describing the process as chaotic and unfair," said Grahame Grieve, co-founder of the animal rights advocacy group, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Expressing similar concerns, Anushka Rekhi, founder of the Mumbai-based animal welfare charity, Resq, wondered why such rules weren't imposed for cats or other animals. "Surat's neighbourhood approval rule for dogs is another example of how chaotic and misunderstood the issue of animal welfare is," Rekhi told Tribune India.

"This is a clear discrimination against dog lovers, and dogs will be the ones to suffer," Rekhi added. "Someone who is irresponsible and unfit to be a pet parent could simply refuse to give their approval, even though many stakeholders should be involved in deciding who is a responsible pet parent."

PETA's Grieve said such a rule could also lead to increased cases of illegal street animals.

"If animal lovers are refused permission to adopt animals under such rules, they may turn to illegal street animal populations, which are disproportionately prone to suffer from diseases or fatal injuries and face persecution by authorities," Grieve explained.

Animals in Indian Cities: Astounding Statistics

Surat's recent ruling is just one among many eyebrow-raising Indian pet regulations. Last December, the Bengaluru Animal Welfare Board issued an advisory banning pet dogs from more than 20 residential complexes, housing societies, and apartment buildings in the city.

The advisory cited a 2006 Supreme Court ruling that prohibited residents from keeping pets in residential complexes or societies without prior permission from the animal welfare board or the municipal corporation.

Animal welfare groups believe the ruling was a violation of the 2006 apex court order, with the vice-president of the Bangalore Animal Welfare Foundation (BAWF) calling it, "absurd."

"If implemented, it (the ruling) will only make it harder for puppies that need help," the BAWF vice-president added.

Last July, Delhi imposed similar rules requiring dog owners to obtain permission from all residents when keeping pets, triggering a backlash from animal lovers.

Last December, the Delhi High Court issued a ruling describing the Delhi Municipal Corporation's (DMC) pet registration guidelines as "absolutely crazy."

The court's ruling came after animal lovers challenged the DMC's guidelines, which required pet owners to fill out a detailed questionnaire about their marital status, monthly income, and the number of toilets in their homes.

Animal welfare groups believe that such guidelines and rules are unethical and overly restrictive, and fail to effectively promote responsible pet ownership.

Conclusion:

"Confusion and unfairness" are terms that animal lovers and welfare groups have used to describe the chaotic regulatory landscape that Indian city dwellers face when keeping pets, particularly dogs.

Industry stakeholders, including those at PETA and Resq, believe that such rules will inevitably lead to an increase in cases of illegal street animals, as pet owners may turn to illegal sources in the face of restrictive and confusing regulations.

Go!