Ahmedabad: From social media posts and veterinary clinic posters to billboards, the civic body has tried several ways to persuade residents to register their pet dogs. The result after 19 months is a civic database covering just under 40% of the estimated canine population. As of Aug 5, only 19,746 of around 50,000 pet dogs had been registered.The campaign has struggled because the mandatory rule is not backed by an enforceable penalty, an official said.AMC’s cattle nuisance control department launched the registration exercise on Jan 1, 2025, to build a record of the city’s pet dogs, their owners, and vaccination status. But 30,254 dogs remain outside the database, based on the civic body’s estimate.Officials concede that the task is becoming harder as Ahmedabad’s pet population continues to grow. “The goalpost will keep moving as more families get pet dogs,” an AMC official said, requesting anonymity.The official said the muted response persisted despite sustained awareness campaigns. “One big reason is that AMC lacks a policy empowering it to strictly enforce the rule. It has left the civic body largely dependent on persuasion and higher fees to secure compliance,” the official said.The registration fee began at Rs 200 and was raised to Rs 500, Rs 1,000 and, eventually, Rs 2,000 as AMC extended the deadlines. The official said the increases were intended to encourage owners to register before the charges became steeper.The 19,746 dogs on AMC’s rolls belong to 17,380 owners. Labradors form the largest group with 3,939 registrations, followed by German shepherds (1,527), Shih Tzus (1,497), golden retrievers (1,416), Pomeranians (1,138), beagles (571), Siberian huskies (476), pugs (400), and Rottweilers (356). Another 831 dogs fall under other breeds.West Zone leads with 4,996 registered dogs, followed by North West Zone (4,101), East Zone (2,855), South West Zone (2,640), South Zone (2,372), North Zone (2,003) and Central Zone (779).
Owners have until Sep 30 to register their pets for a fee of Rs 200
189 cats registered in a month: AMC has also begun building a database of the city’s pet cats. Registration opened on July 9, with owners given until Sep 30 to enrol their cats for Rs 200 each. AMC estimates Ahmedabad has about 5,000 pet cats. By Aug 5, 189 cats belonging to 149 owners had been registered.Of the cats registered, 72 are native breeds and 117 have been placed in the other-breeds category. North West Zone leads with 44 registrations, narrowly ahead of West Zone at 43. South West Zone has registered 38 cats, North Zone 19, Central Zone 18, East Zone 17 and South Zone 10.The registrations are intended to help AMC track pets and their vaccinations, encourage responsible ownership, and support efforts to eliminate rabies by 2030.
