Lucknow, Dec 6 (IANS): The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has decided to deploy teams of personnel to conduct door-to-door verifications of every dog's licence.

Majority of people are yet to renew the mandatory licence for their pets in the city.

The pet licences expire on March 31 every year. LMC's chief veterinary officer Abhinav Verma said, "Those who are yet to comply with rules related to keeping pets may have to pay a fine or face the risk of confiscation of pets. The rules will be implemented strictly as they highlight the importance of responsible pet ownership for the well-being of both animals and the community."

According to officials, only 4,000 of the 8,200 licensed dog owners from the previous year have complied with the requirement. This has caused financial losses to the civic body and jeopardized public safety, as the vaccination status of unlicensed dogs is unknown.

As per rules, every dog owner has to get a licence from LMC every year. One person can keep a maximum of two dogs if they have 200 square yards area and maximum four if 400 square yards area.

The licence fees vary based on the breed. Foreign or mixed-breed dogs incur a licence fee of Rs 1,000 per dog, while Indian breeds are charged Rs 200 per dog.

Dogs are required to be sterilized after one year of age. LMC officials said they will start a drive against pet owners without a licence after the first fortnight of December. Those who do not renew the licence, will face a hefty fine of Rs 5,000 per dog, and the pet may be confiscated by the authorities. The confiscated pets will be housed at the LMC dog shelter in Indiranagar until the fine is paid.