New set of rules implemented for pet owners in Prestige Wellington Park

BENGALURU:  A new set of diktats have been issued by the executive committee to the residents of an apartment complex which is located near Jalahalli, north Bengaluru. 

The diktats state that, the owners of pet have to pay Rs 2,500 as the annual fee. Pay Rs 1,000 every time it’s found using the passenger lift. Also an amount of Rs 1,000 (exclusive of cleaning cost) if your pet’s urine/excreta is found in the common area. 

Pet owners have taken an exception towards the move, by terming it to be 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.

“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. 

MP Sridhar, who is the property manager, said that the rules have been implemented to maintain a hygienic environment 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, the general secretary of the Bengaluru Apartment Federation, said that regulatory rules would become inevitable in most of the apartments within 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.