Son kills dog, father gets him arrested; Know AWBI guidelines on pets

Yet another incident of lack of apathy towards animals has come to the fore. A man killed his pet dog in Chhattisgarh's Surajpur region, but his father promptly informed the matter to the police and got him arrested. The cops arrested the man after his father lodged an FIR.

This is not the first time that police has acted due to violence against canines which has been on a rise. In September 2017, a police complaint was lodged by animal activists against a person for reportedly battering a dog to death. The dog entered his house out of fright as crackers were being burst outside during the final day of Ganpati immersions.

As such, there is no law that criminalises killing of a stray dog, but in case of pet animals, it is slightly different. The Indian Penal Code does not specifically recognize offences against animals and crimes like killing or maiming, which are dealt under the category of offences against "property" of people and this excludes stray animals as they are not "assets".

Many keep dogs as pets, but most of them are unaware of rules set by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). AWBI has issued guidelines for keeping pets, especially in an apartment.

Here are some important rules a pet-owner must know:

1. Despite other tenants being in consensus about not allowing pets in the apartment, a ban on owning pets is illegal and can't be enforced on tenants.
2. They can't pass any such notice regarding the size or breed of dogs which will be accepted in the apartment, while others are rejected.
3. The barking of pet dogs won't be considered as a valid reason to ban dogs from the apartment. However, pet owners are advised to try their best in keeping their dogs quiet, especially at night.
4. Apartment associations can't pass any laws against pets using the elevators or lifts or impose a fine on tenants whose pets use said elevators or lifts. However, if an alternative lift already exists in the apartment, pet owners are advised to use it for convenience.
5. Pets can't be outright banned from gardens, parks and other public spaces. However, provisions can be made to adjust timings such that they don't disturb or scare other tenants or kids, or create any inconvenience.
6. The owners must follow strict regimes to keep their pets healthy and hygienic. All vaccinations should be administered regularly and adequately. Sterilisation of pets is advised, to keep their population in check.
7. Pet owners are advised to participate in the effective cleaning of faeces from their pets while on public premises, methods of which might be suggested by apartment associations.