Parks owned by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Lalbagh have already shut their doors to pet dogs.

The proposal to impose a ban on pet dogs in Cubbon Park has triggered a debate on how public spaces are becoming increasingly averse to pets.

The city’s lung spaces, such as parks owned by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Lalbagh, have already shut their doors on pet dogs. With a majority of parks in the neighbourhood sporting boards declaring “pets not allowed”, most pet owners are forced to take their dogs to playgrounds for a walk.

“Increasingly, public spaces are closing their doors to dogs. Many security guards in playgrounds too do not allow pets. Why can’t the dogs have the freedom to walk around? How can the authorities concerned deny the dogs their right,” asked an anguished Nishita Gowda, who has a pet dog. She also rubbished claims that pet dogs jump, bite or disturb walkers and pointed out that most pet dogs are trained by their owners.

An online campaign started by Priya Chetty opposing the ban in Cubbon Park is picking up. Nearly 700 persons have signed the petition. “Most pets are happy, friendly and well-behaved. The stray dogs in the parks are sterilised, vaccinated, well-fed, gentle and un-interfering… they have a right to be there,” the petition to be submitted to the Department of Horticulture, Karnataka states.

According to the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975, dogs cannot enter parks. With the debate raging on the issue, the Horticulture Department now plans to conduct a meeting in a week’s time with different stakeholders, including pet owners and walkers, to arrive at a decision, sources told The Hindu .

Designated spaces

However, regular walkers in the parks say that the number of dogs in Cubbon Park is increasing, particularly after the Horticulture Department banned vehicles on Sundays. S. Umesh, president of Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association, said that there is a need for a dialogue between pet lovers and walkers. “We understand that pet-friendly spaces are shrinking and we need to look at their concerns as well. But pet lovers also need to understand the concerns of walkers, some of whom have been bitten by dogs,” he said. He said that Cubbon Park authorities could consider demarking a separate space for pet lovers and charge a nominal fee. The fee, he said, could be used for cleaning and maintenance of the park.