Own a pet? Pay Rs 2,500 as fee, committee tells apartment dwellers

BENGALURU: Shell out Rs 2,500 as annual fee if you own a pet. Pay Rs 1,000 every time it’s found using the passenger lift. Cough up Rs 1,000 (exclusive of cleaning cost) if your pet’s urine/excreta is found in the common area. These are among the set of diktats issued to residents of an apartment complex near Jalahalli, north Bengaluru, by its executive committee.
Pet owners have taken exception to the move, terming it unfair.“This amounts to nothing but discrimination of pet owners and discourages residents from keeping pets,” they said. Of the 482 flat owners in Prestige Wellington Park, over 30 own pets.
The guidelines were recently spelled out through notices put up by the committee, which is incharge of the apartment’s maintenance and management. “These unreasonable guidelines have been issued primarily to discourage residents from having pets. For those who may not know, pet guidelines prescribed by the law prohibit a discriminatory approach towards pet owners in residential areas. There are several issues which need to be dealt with but only pet owners appear to be the targets of such communications,” a pet owner recently wrote to the committee. The residents have sought a meeting with the committee, which should be attended by at least one pet owner.
MP Sridhar, property manager, said the rules were needed to maintain hygiene in the group housing complex. “We have barred pets from using passenger lifts but they can be ferried on the goods lifts. Though we have put up a notice saying the annual maintenance fee is Rs 2,500 per pet, many are divided on the issue. Only one person has paid so far. There are separate bins for pet poop, but not all residents make use of them,” said Sridhar.
Srikanth Narasimhan, general secretary, Bengaluru Apartment Federation, said regulatory rules would become inevitable in most apartments in the city. “Ownership of pets in apartments needs to be regulated. However, it’s not fair to charge a maintenance fee for owning a pet. We want to work with animal rights activists in forming common regulations for city apartment complexes,” he said.
PET PEEVES: WHAT GUIDELINES SAY
*Pet owners have to pay a one-time registration fee of Rs 500
*Have to keep pet inside house at all times except for transportation (on and off) and daily walks. When outside flat, animals must be on leash
*Pets to be allowed only in service lifts. Ferrying them in passenger lifts will draw fine of Rs 1,000
*Pets of aggressive disposition not be kept in property to ensure safety
*If a pet harms/bites anyone in complex — human or animal — owner will be responsible for medical and other expenses
*Pets must not cry/bark incessantly and cause disturbance to others. Owners are expected to take appropriate action, including moving pet for training/treatment to a suitable facility, until issue is resolved. Violation of this clause would prompt committee to take up the matter with the authorities concerned