New Delhi: The dog owners versus non-dog owners war just got more complicated. The Surat Municipal Corporation now wants dog owners to get a no objection certificate from ten neighbours and the head of the housing society. It is one of the most stringent rules in the country and has just added a new round of paperwork and confusion for dog owners.
It has also deepened the growing hostility between the pet owners and others.
The Surat Municipal Corporation’s (SMC) new regulations on dog ownership are causing growing disagreements among civic authorities, dog owners, and housing society residents.
The move comes after a tragic incident in Ahmedabad, where a four-month-old baby was mauled to death by a pet dog. The key objective behind the Surat policy is to ensure public safety, curb irresponsible pet ownership, and reduce the number of dog bite cases, say officials.
“It’s not just about owning a pet, it’s about being responsible to society. This initiative will create more awareness among the people,” said Digvijay Ram, SMC Market Superintendent.
The new rule has sparked mixed reactions among dog lovers and residents. While some call it a necessary safeguard, others view it as an infringement on the rights of responsible pet owners.
“Why would anyone need to give us permission for a pet we’ve owned for years?” asked 33-year-old Rashmi, a stay-at-home wife who owns three pet dogs. “And does the government or municipal corporation that’s imposing this rule even have any facility to keep the pets safe and secure if someone abandons them?”
While Surat is not the first city in India to require NOCs from neighbours for pet registration, it is the first to mandate consent from as many as 10 neighbours—the highest number so far. In 2023, Uttarakhand’s Rudrapur town introduced a similar NOC requirement. But the Rudrapur Municipal Corporation soon backtracked on its decision due to opposition from residents.
“The neighbour NOC requirement for pet registration was withdrawn after protests from residents,” said a Rudrapur Municipal Corporation official on the condition of anonymity.
The official added that the regulation was withdrawn by the municipal board itself after an internal meeting.
‘No one willing to sign’
The rule has confounded many. Surat residents are trying to figure out the fine print and grappling with implementation challenges. The tight deadline isn’t helping matters either. As per the SMC’s guidelines, the last date for registering your dog is 31 July 2025.
Rashmi, a resident of Surat, has three pet dogs — a 9-year-old Labrador, a 7-year-old Shih Tzu, and a 3-year-old Golden Retriever. After learning about the new pet registration rule, she promptly began the process to avoid any trouble in the future.
Equipped with all the necessary documents, including vaccination certificates for her dogs and other required information, Rashmi wrote a letter to her housing society’s administration requesting an NOC, a mandatory step in the pet registration process.
However, Rashmi was unable to move forward with the process. She received a written reply from the society president stating: “We, as the committee of the society, do not have the authority to issue NOCs for keeping dogs within the premises.” The Print has a copy of the letter.
“SMC has asked for an NOC from the society administration and neighbors for dog registration, but no one is willing to sign it, saying it’s not part of the state government’s rules or official registration guidelines. So what is someone like me supposed to do?” said Rashmi.
Speaking about the new pet registration process in Surat, former Lok Sabha MP Maneka Gandhi — who is also an animal welfare activist and founder of People for Animals (PFA), an animal welfare organisation — criticised the rule, calling it “legally flawed”.
“This rule will only create a situation ripe for blackmail. Neighbours and RWAs may start demanding money in exchange for signing the NOC,” she said, adding that the SMC must take back the rule.
Gandhi also raised a crucial question: What happens if RWAs or neighbours refuse to issue NOCs? In such cases, she cautioned, residents may be forced to abandon their pets on the streets.
“Does the SMC have any plan to handle such a situation, where abandoned animals start increasing? They should focus on addressing real issues like dog bites and public safety — not introduce policies that create more problems,” she added.
The SMC general body made registration of pets in the city mandatory in 2008. But initially, the rule only required basic registration — which is common in many cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Pune.
Now, the policy has been made stricter with the introduction of the NOC rule.
“In Surat, the police have received several complaints against dog owners, and FIRs have also been lodged,” said Digvijay Ram. “To address this issue, we have made it mandatory for residents to obtain a licence from the SMC in order to keep a dog”.
To obtain a dog licence in Surat, applicants must now submit a comprehensive set of documents, including a copy of their Aadhaar card, the latest municipal tax receipt, and a rent agreement (if applicable). Additionally, they are required to provide a notarised undertaking on stamp paper, a clear photograph of the pet dog, and valid proof of the pet’s vaccination. Most notably, the application must be accompanied by an NOC from ten neighbors, and the chairman of the housing society — making it one of the most stringent pet licensing processes in the country.
“A licence will be issued after following due procedure. So far, we have received 300 applications, out of which we have issued more than 150 licences,” said Ram.
Also read: I hated dogs but adopted one. I didn’t know it then, but I was the one being rescued
Divided over new rule
The mandatory NOC rule to keep a pet in Surat has also elicited mixed response from those who don’t own a pet.
“The pet owners in cities are becoming increasingly aggressive. These days, if someone raises a concern, owners become defensive and confrontational — it often feels like they care more about their pets than about people,” said Amrit Dayal, a 42-year-old graphic designer living in a housing society in Surat.
Akash Bansal, 29, doesn’t have a pet dog, but he is also not against anyone owning one in his society. What bothers him, however, is someone coming to his house asking him to sign an NOC for their dog — something he feels he has nothing to do with.
“Surat mostly has high-rise buildings, and in these kinds of societies, people often don’t even know who their neighbours are. So why would anyone sign or give an NOC for someone else’s pet?” said Bansal.
“Why should I give an NOC for someone else’s pet? What if something happens in the future and I get dragged into it?” he asked. “The authorities should think carefully before implementing such rules—they should consult with experts and residents first”.
Pet owners have said if they fail to complete the registration process due to the burdensome requirements, and their pets face any consequences as a result, they will stage a protest against the new rules. Many dog owners and animal lovers have also launched an online petition opposing the SMC’s new mandate.
“Our pets are like our children, and no one would abandon their children or accept any rule that goes against them. We will fight for our pets, who are family to us,” said Chinmoy Roy, a pet parent.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
Wow so this before stopping Bacha Bazi in 2025…. wow. Great Job India. Do better.
Psychiatrist Certificate required is for the neighbors and not for the Now a days.
Of make it a rule for both !!!
Dog owners are a curse on our society. And so are the dog lovers who feed stray dogs.
These people are absolutely irresponsible and engage in uncivilized behaviour on a daily basis.
For example, it is routine in my town to see dog owners taking out the dog for a “walk”. During this walk, the owner makes sure that the dog poops and pees by the roadside. At times, bang in the middle of the road or public park. Once done, both the owner and the dog happily return home.
Only last week a small child was attacked by a pack of stray dogs. Why are there so many stray dogs in our society? Well, because we have a bunch of dog lovers who feed these strays. Me and my family members have been routinely hounded by these stray dogs, especially when returning home late at night.
I appeal to the government to bring in very strict laws to prevent such threats to human life. Dog owners and dog lovers must be held liable for the misdeeds of the dogs.
It’s a pity that human beings get away with terrible crimes, but dogs and their owners are liable for things like urinating.
Dog owners must be held liable if their dog bites/scratches anyone. They must be held liable if the dog urinates or defecates in a public place or other people’s private property.
Laws must be brought to hold dog-owners completely responsible if their dog bites or scratches other people. The owners must be criminally prosecuted for such behaviour of their dogs.