The deposited amount will be used for treatment of pet bite victims and other pet-related maintenance works.
A Resident Welfare Association (RWA) rule for pet parents in Bengaluru has received a backlash from not only the pet owners but also the animal rights activists and social media users after it was found that they were asking for ₹10,000 for keeping pets. The RWA of Ittina Mahavir apartment in the Electronic City area has reportedly asked the pet parents to deposit a refundable amount of ₹10,000 per pet for keeping animals in the apartment complex.
According to reports, the deadline for depositing the money has been set as November 15 and if the deadline is not met, a fine of ₹100 per day will be imposed from November 16.
The deposited amount will be used for the treatment of pet bite victims and other pet-related maintenance works, it said. This controversial housing rule also received a severe backlash from the internet.
One user wrote, “Charging ₹10,000 for keeping a pet? Maybe they’re funding a secret space program.”
Another user said, “Wow, ₹10,000 just to keep a pet? I guess they want to make sure only the highest quality fur babies get in!”
Meanwhile, an official from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) called the move “illegal. Speaking to The Times of India, an official from the civic body’s animal husbandry wing said, “Charging for keeping pets in houses is illegal. No RWA can collect the fee and call it ‘pet maintenance’. The government hospitals and even BBMP-affiliated hospitals treat dog victims free of cost. The victims are also given compensation of Rs. 2000 for a dog bite. In such a case, how can any private entity charge such a fee from the residents?”
