Mumbai: In the near future, Maharashtra’s 29 municipal corporations will have their own veterinary hospitals, as per a state government directive issued in conjunction with World Rabies Day, which was observed on Sunday. Currently, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai are the only urban cities that have veterinary hospitals for pets and strays. However, the state has not set a deadline for the project, except asking the civic authorities that the responsibility to open up shelters for injured animals and hospitals rests with them under the Maharashtra Municipal Act, 1949.
About The Move
The state move comes in the backdrop of increasing cases of dog bites. In 2024, Mumbai reported 96,000 cases, and Thane reported around 99,000 cases. From April 2022 to December 2022, the state reported 1.16 lakh cases of dog bites, of which 63,082 were from Mumbai, 7,700 from Thane, and 7,606 from Navi Mumbai. Currently, registration of pets is mandatory in Mumbai and Thane municipal areas, where a license can be renewed only after vaccination.
Bombay HC Allows Maharashtra Govt To Withdraw 2020 Rioting Case Against Ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan, BJP Leader Vikhe Patil And 5 OthersIn the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), only the BMC has an independent department for animals; Thane has just one veterinary doctor permanently. Among the other municipal bodies, a few have appointed vets on a contract basis. Prior to 2004, there were eight veterinary hospitals in Mumbai run by the state government’s animal husbandry department.
However, those were closed down, entrusting the responsibility of cattle and pets to the BMC. The state does not take responsibility for pets and stray animals in city areas, said an official. The state government has notified the Animal Birth Control Act, 2023, to implement the anti-rabies programme under the guidelines prescribed by the Central government and to control the number of stray dogs without causing cruelty.
The act mandates registration of pets, responsibility of their owners, obligations of the local authorities, sterilisation and a programme for birth control.
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