Pets and strays divide housing society residents
Residents of housing societies in Mumbai are a divided lot over feeding stray dogs and allowing pets on the premises,as data collected by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals would show.
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Residents of housing societies in Mumbai are a divided lot over feeding stray dogs and allowing pets on the premises,as data collected by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) would show. According to SPCA records,complaints of harassment of pet owners as well as animal lovers by housing society members have increased over last year.
Shakila Banu,a resident of Husain House,Goregaon,owns two dogs,which have been her pets for the past 4-5 years. However,she became a victim of her neighbours ire when a stray dog began sitting outside the door and terrorising other residents. The stray dog used to come to our door and watch my pets while they had their food. Sympathising with it,I began feeding it separately. Now the dog sits outside my door and barks at passers-by. Matters became worse when the dog bit a neighbour last April. Now the building wants us to give away our pets also, said Salma Sheikh,Shakila Banus daughter.
In 2009,a harrowed Banu approached the BSPCA for help. Our dogs are vaccinated regularly and we have BMC licences. Yet,our building members harass us over the dogs, the family said. SPCA inspectors had visited Banus premises last year and pacified the building members,however,the family members said they continue to be victimised by their society.
In a similar case last July,Satish Madhumal,a resident of Badruddin Building,Mazgaon,had approached the SPCA complaining that a neigbour had hurled down his cat from the first floor of the building injuring it severely. Madhumal said,I used to take care of the kitten and feed it outside my doorstep. This neighbour would keep complaining that the kitten dirties the society premises. However,I used to tell him that cats are clean animals. One day,this neighbour threw the cat down from his first floor flat. Thankfully,I had an eye witness to the incident and approached the SPCA. Eventually,a SPCA inspector warned the accused and charged him a fine of Rs 1000.
SPCA member secretary Dr J C Khanna,Years 2009 and 2010 have seen a worrying rise in such complaints by harrowed pet owners and animal lovers who feed dogs and cat on the society premises. In most cases,a mere warning by our inspectors quieten the accused but sometime we have to take action.
According to Mahabaleshwar Morje,general secretary of the Mumbai Flat Owners Association,the problem of pet owner versus other residents in housing societies have been around for years. The issue arise from the fact the societies by-laws can be formulated as per committee members discretion and passed by the registrar. Both parties have their point. While dogs and cats can be nuisance,it is also true that sometimes they can be very useful for guarding a housing society. It is upto the society to choose a middle path, he said.
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