DogExpress
Recently, a resident welfare association served an eviction notice to Ms. Mandakini Vasudevan, living in Whitefield, Bengaluru. She was issued this notice after she took her dog for a walk on the lawn and other utility spaces in the society.
Now, she has about 2 weeks to find her pets and herself a new home!
What her neighbors say
Modern India seems to be turning increasingly pet- friendly. No law bans people from having pets, and Residence welfare association (RWAs) have no authority to throw out people with animal companions.
RWAs set their own rules and regulation
RWAs invented their own rules and regulation and impose fines if their rules are violated. They also force people to vacate their homes along with pets.
Supertech Livingstone apartments in Crossings Republik residential township, Ghaziabad came out with a set of rules for pet owners in the April 2017 issue of their society’s inhouse magazine.
Any new family with a pet dog or any other animal seeking to rent a flat in the society had to take permission from neighbors before they moved in.
Pets had to be muzzled when they stepped out of their homes and maintain a distance of 3m from kids while being walked in the premises.
Dog owners were also asked to use the service lift instead of the main lift to keep the pets away from children. However, the society rolled back the rules in the May issue after receiving flak for the absurd and discriminatory restrictions.
Sometimes, pet owners are forced to look for a new home.
Last year, Alka Sobti, living on rent in Gurugram had to move out of an apartment complex after her dog barked in the common area.
“My little one was on a leash and just barked at a group of children who were playing there. People complained to my landlord and I was asked to either abandon my dogs or vacate the apartment. I obviously chose my dogs and moved. But some desperate owners simply abandon their companions. Many complexes in Bengaluru don’t allow people to keep pets,” said Sobti.
“Families who have been forced to move from such apartments have come and left their dogs at our shelter. And I would say those are the lucky ones as many are often abandoned on the streets,” says Chinthana Gopinath, volunteer, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA).
Pooja Srivastava, a resident of Crossings Republik, says she had rented out her flat in Sahibabad in 2015 to a young woman and her father, who had a pet dog.
“Three months after moving in, she abandoned her dog unable to bear the constant hostility of her neighbours,” says Srivastava.
RWAs have no legal right to make such rules
“No one can ask a tenant with pets to relocate or ban people from having a pet,” says M Ravikumar, secretary, Animal Welfare Board of India.
The organization had issued a circular stating that RWAs and apartment owners’ associations “cannot legally introduce any sort of ‘ban’ on the keeping of pet dogs”. Nor can they ban pets from using lifts, gardens or parks.
Pet owners are also asked to show responsible ownership by ensuring their pets are vaccinated, putting them on a leash in public spaces, and cleaning up after them.
Chinny Krishna, co-founder of Blue Cross of India said, “If your dog is aggressive, it is reasonable that you muzzle it in public areas.”
Pet lovers are also taking it upon themselves to help out each other. ‘Pet Friendly Houses For Rent‘, a Facebook group, seeks to connect pet owners with those who are willing to open their doors to their furry friends.
House owners like Chennaiite Vishnu Raju hope to help out kindred souls.
The 33-year old software consultant, who now has a place of his own in Bengaluru where he keeps Rott weilers said, “Years ago, when I started working in Bengaluru and wanted to have a dog, my landlord refused to allow me. I decided to join the FB group and rent out my home in Tambaram, Chennai, to a pet lover who really needs it. And since it is an in dependent house, no one can protest,” he laughs.
Reference: The Times Of India
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