In a welcome decision by the new AOA of this Crossings Republik society, the earlier rules that went against AWBI guidelines and violated resident rights have been decisively repealed.
After much hue and cry over the absurd do’s and don’ts imposed on pet owners in Supertech Livingston, in Crossings Republik, the new AOA of the society has decided to repeal the rules.
The rules, released by the previous AOA, bypassed guidelines issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India and hence garnered wide criticism from animal lovers across Ghaziabad. The rules, which were published in the society magazine, were called objectionable and absurd by residents, animal lovers, pet owners and People For Animals (PFA). The issue was also highlighted by the media and on various social media platforms.
Some of the rules published in the society’s magazine were:
1. If a new family with a pet dog or any other animal wants to rent a flat in the society, they have to seek permission from neighbours before moving in.
2. It is mandatory to muzzle dogs before stepping out of flats with them.
3. Dogs have to maintain a distance of 3 metres from kids while out on society premises.
4. Residents accompanied by pets have to use service lifts, instead of the main lifts to keep the animals away from kids.
Speaking to City Spidey, Sudhir Sinha, a board member of the new AOA and president of the previous AOA, admitted that the rules were absurd and had to be published under pressure from a few residents.
“The rules violate resident rights. They had actually just been proposed but ended up being published under pressure. They have been repealed now and are no longer applicable. We have also informed residents of this,” he said.
“We had a word with local animal lovers about the issue. We are circulating messages on social media to help spread awareness among residents,” Sinha added.
Speaking to City Spidey, Pooja Shrivastava, an animal lover and a resident of Ajnara Gen X in Crossings Republik who had initially flagged the issue, welcomed the AOA’s decision. She lauded it as an important step in bridging the gap between residents, animal lovers and stray dogs.
Sumedha Iyer, president of PFA Ghaziabad, told City Spidey that the AOA’s decision to repeal the rules was crucial, as not doing so would have encouraged other societies to draft similar rules. “We had earlier issued notices and filed police complaints but decided to settle it in an amicable manner, as the AOA admitted that the published rules violated the law,” Iyer added.
