Circular soon to address grouse of pet owners: Centre to HC

The Union government on Friday told the Bombay High Court that it will issue a circular soon to address all grievances of pet owners regarding taking the animals outside for a walk during the lockdown. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared for the government, told the high court that the circular will be issued by next week.

ASG Singh made the submission before a bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice K K Tated. The bench was hearing a a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a Pune resident seeking permission to take her pet dogs outside for their daily walks.

The PIL filed through advocate Harshwardhan Bhende claimed that several police stations under the jurisdiction of Pune police had issued "arbitrary directions" to housing societies to stop residents from taking their dogs for walks. Advocate Bhende also told the HC that in Pune several ambulances and pet taxis ferrying sick animals to vet clinics were being stopped by the police and that the Pune police were "refusing to issue passes" for such vehicles to ply during the lockdown.

On a previous hearing on May 10, another bench of the high court had directed the Maharashtra government to issue a "clear directive" to the state police to ensure that ambulances or other vehicles ferrying pets and sick animals to and from veterinary clinics are not stopped during the lockdown. The bench had also directed the centre to clarify its stand on permitting petowners to take their dogs outside for walks during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

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