Mangaluru City Corporation issues guidelines for pet dog owners; compliance mandatory

The Mangaluru City Corporation issued strict pet dog owner guidelines covering vaccination, leash rules, and sterilisation within its limits in Mangaluru, Karnataka. The Mangaluru City Corporation directed pet owners to follow orders from the Supreme Court, the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, and the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act. Under the rules, owners must vaccinate pets against rabies annually, keep them leashed in public, clean up public defecation to avoid fines between Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000, and sterilise pets unless registered as breeders with the Karnataka State Animal Welfare Board. Abandoning animals carries penalties under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and fines up to Rs 50,000, alongside First Information Report registration. The Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner stated that compliance is mandatory. Readers can report abandoned pets to the corporation helpline at 9449007722 or public grievance helpline 1902 with photo or video evidence.