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Several reports of attacks by pet dogs in residential societies in Noida and Ghaziabad have deepened faultlines among dog owners, resident welfare associations and other stakeholders.
Last week the owner of a labrador was arrested by Noida police after the animal allegedly bit a 10-year-old boy in a residential complex in Sector 56. And on Tuesday, Ghaziabad police booked the owner of a Beagle after a nine-year-old boy was bitten inside a lift.
On Wednesday, a video was circulated on social media capturing a pet dog jumping on a man standing in the corner of a lift in a residential apartment complex in Noida’s Sector-75. The incident is from last month, management said, and the person who was bitten was a delivery executive. In this case, the dog owner paid for his treatment and settled the matter. In this particular apartment complex, the buyers’ welfare society alleged the facility management company should have taken strong action.
The back-to-back cases have not gone unnoticed. According to Anand Upadhyay, president of the apartment owners’ association (AOA) at JM Orchid society in Sector 76, while associations can issue guidelines pertaining to pets, these are not legally enforceable. “There are guidelines in our society and most of the residents follow them. At the same time, we cannot force anyone,” Upadhyay said.
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Lakshmi Gupta, a dog owner and a resident of Parsvnath Prestige, said taking care of an animal is a huge responsibility which goes beyond just feeding or vaccinating them. “I have a rescued Indie as well as a Beagle and I purposely took a flat on the ground floor so that my dogs have the space to roam around freely. Pet parents need to realise dogs have a psychology too and must take responsibility,” Gupta said, adding that people should not have pets if they cannot take care of them.
According to Amit Gupta, a resident of Prateek Wisteria who regularly feeds stray dogs, animals often get confused in confined spaces such as lifts, and their owner must ensure their mouths are covered with a muzzle. Moreover, in cases of dog bites, it is imperative for dog owners to disclose if their dog is vaccinated. Gupta said such cases may reduce if they are reported to the police, especially since some dog owners lack sensitivity.
Some residents believe that better monitoring of common areas, especially lifts, and awareness campaigns by resident welfare associations may bring change. “Awareness building among pet owners about their responsibilities is key which cannot be done without the association’s participation,” said Sachin Goyal, a resident at JM Orchid. Most people also agreed that in case of a dog bite, it is the owner’s responsibility to pay for treatment.
Guidelines concerning pets usually include keeping dogs on a leash while walking around the society premises and cleaning up after their pets. Geeta Sheshamani, vice-president of Friendicoes SECA, believes that a sense of perspective is important rather than villainising dogs. “A lot of dogs get abandoned and come to us because ‘they bite’. They usually respond well to discipline and love… yet, when released back to owners, they go back to nipping. If dog owners know that their pets are high strung or nervous around strangers, then they should keep a strong hold on their dogs, use a muzzle if they are aware that they hate confined spaces… many options are there to prevent such incidents from happening.”
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