Time to crack the whip on people
From Huskies to endangered turtles, Mumbaiites are adopting pets that don’t belong in the city. What’s your take on pets as accessories? What’s the strangest pet you’ve encountered in the city?
It will be a logical decision from the government if rare and exotic pets are banned in the city, as the climate, lack of space and necessary knowledge of how to breed them may endanger their lives. But it can also lead people to inbreeding, smuggling and other illegal means to acquire them.
All pets, especially the rare and exotic ones, must be microchipped to prevent them from being poached from the wild and the treatment of all pets should be done by trained veterinarians.
I have seen many exotic pets in the city like hairy Dachshund dogs, mini poodles, a white crow, a freshwater dolphin fish, a white male Siamese fighting fish, squirrels etc.
Very few of the owners had the necessary knowledge of how to take care of them. There should be institutions or organisations in the city where pet owners can get training courses in pet care.
But there are some measures which the city municipal authority can take on behalf of pets that are not used to this hot and humid climate .
Water sprayers can be installed on high poles along the side of the roads that can cool them down when the sun is scorching. have been reported where pet dogs are kept in small flats.
Everyone has a right to own pets provided there is ample space for them to roam and hygiene is monitored and maintained.
Many people buy exotic birds like cockatoos, coloured sparrows, parrots from the markets in central Mumbai, but rarely have the time to care for them properly.
To me, it’s inhuman if you keep birds in a cage or force a big dog to survive in a cramped space. They are living animals, not toys, and need to be treated as such. times pet animals are subjected to cruelty because they cannot defend themselves.
I have seen in many houses turtles being kept in a small pond and small children teasing them. One of my friends kept rare sparrows in his house and had no idea about how to take care of them and eventually some of them died of dehydration and heat.
To prevent animal cruelty, the government must frame some comprehensive dos and don’ts for keeping pets.
It should clearly lay down rules and also categorically mention which animals can legally be kept as pets.