BMC corporators are dogged by a new fear: Pet dog poop

The hygiene-sensitive civic body corporators seem to have an across the board dislike for the droppings of animals, especially the poop left behind by pet dogs, which they alleged “creates dirt and nuisance on the road.” Such is the outrage that there was a unanimous demand in the civic body on Tuesday for action against the dog owners who do not carry poop bags.

The matter under discussion was a proposal that was tabled for extension of a sterilisation project of stray dogs. But the discussion went off the tangent and the corporators started clamouring for action pet dog owners. Replying to the chorus, Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee claimed clean-up marshals have been appointed by the BMC, which impose fines at the drop of a hat and also take action on specific complaints against poorly toilet trained dog owners. Mukherjee also stated that the BMC would soon file an additional affidavit in the Supreme Court to seek directions for reining in recalcitrant dog owners, mostly from the elite of the society.

While a door to door census of pet dogs is yet to be undertaken, there is a unanimity of opinion that the fad has really caught on with Mumbaikars; some of these dogs like the Golden

Retriever and the Labrador are not exactly suitable for the small spaces in city apartments.

A bigger menace perhaps is the swelling population of stray dogs, which was 95,172 as per a 2014 census. Out of these, only 25,933 were sterilized. However, at present, as per one estimate, there are one lakh two thousand stray dogs. As per animal welfare board guidelines, every year 30 % of the total dog population needs to be sterilised. The BMC spends every year Rs. 2.87 crores on dog sterilization itself.