Hyderabad: Pet owners across the 700-sq km Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC), covering LB Nagar, Malkajgiri and Uppal zones, will now have to take greater responsibility for keeping public spaces clean when walking their dogs. The civic body has decided to make pet owners responsible for cleaning up their dogs’ waste in public places, with fines to be imposed on those who fail to comply.
The proposed crackdown seeks to put into practice instructions issued by the commissioner and director of municipal administration in 2024, which directed municipal corporations, except Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), to take action against pet owners whose dogs defecate in the public places and impose penalties of up to ₹1,000.
However, if the campaign fails to bring about the desired change and pet waste continues to litter public spaces, we will serve notices and impose penalties on erring owners,” a senior MMC (health & sanitation wing) official said. Owners need to ensure that their pets do not inconvenience other residents or compromise public hygiene, officials said. We will initially focus on awareness and voluntary compliance. The proposed initiative also seeks to establish that responsible pet ownership extends beyond feeding, vaccinating and caring for animals.