Ahmedabad dog owners beware! Your water and sewage connections could be cut off if …

In the wake of a tragic incident where a pet Rottweiler mauled a four-month-old baby to death, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is considering stringent measures to hold pet owners accountable for their animals' actions, including the controversial possibility of disconnecting water and sewage connections to households where pets have caused harm.

A senior AMC official was quoted by The Indian Express as saying that “the owner has to pay and be liable for all the acts of the pet. Though these are just possibilities, a decision will be taken soon.” The official added that the responsibility and liability of pet owners must be clearly defined. Among the possible measures being considered are cutting off water and sewage connections and imposing fines if a dog causes harm to anyone outside the premises where it is kept.

The fatal attack on May 12 sparked widespread public outrage and forced swift action from civic and state authorities. In just two days following the incident, the AMC reportedly received 630 new pet dog registrations, more than double the 305 registrations for the entire month of April.

As of the afternoon of May 15, 6,088 pet dogs had been registered with the AMC by 5,350 owners. Ahmedabad is estimated to have nearly 50,000 pet dogs, as per an Ahmedabad Mirror report. Interestingly, none of the dogs registered up to May 13 were of the Rottweiler breed. The west zone of the city leads with 1,663 registered dogs, followed by the north-west zone with 1,412.

While Rottweilers do not fall under the category of "wild dogs", they have been banned in certain Indian states due to safety concerns. Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel announced that the state is working on a policy to prohibit the domestication of “wild dogs” and take action against those housing wild animals in their homes.

However, it's unclear if this proposed policy will include specific domestic breeds like Rottweilers, as per The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, the AMC has moved to make dog registration mandatory, warning that non-compliance will attract strict penalties. Devang Dani, Chairman of the AMC Standing Committee, confirmed that failure to register a pet dog could lead to disconnection of water and sewage services, in addition to possible police complaints.