The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has issued a fresh directive making pet dog registration mandatory, as the city records over 100 animal bite cases daily and past orders have largely been ignored. Municipal Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya announced the order with immediate effect, requiring all pet owners within MCG limits to register their dogs and renew licenses periodically. Applications can be submitted online or at Citizen Facilitation Centres, along with identity proof, a dog photograph, and a rabies vaccination certificate.
Key Provisions of the Order
The directive mandates that dogs be leashed in public and kept away from roads, parks, green belts, and markets. Owners are held liable for any attack, injury, or nuisance caused by their pet. For breeds classified as dangerous by the central animal husbandry department—including pit bull terriers, Rottweilers, Dogo Argentinos, Cane Corsos, Akitas, and mastiffs—wearing a muzzle in public is compulsory. Violations may lead to action under the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, and the Haryana Municipal Corporation (Registration and Control of Dogs) Bye-laws, 2008, with criminal proceedings in serious cases.
Past Orders Failed to Ensure Compliance
This is not the first time such rules have been imposed. The MCG made registration compulsory at the end of 2022, threatening fines and detention. In April 2023, it extended license validity to three years to ease compliance. A private agency was hired for door-to-door microchipping in December 2024. Fresh guidelines followed in October 2025 to align with Supreme Court orders on stray dogs. Despite these efforts, only about 2,290 pet dogs were registered with the corporation over the past year—a fraction of the city's actual pet population. Officials note that non-registration is most prevalent in gated and premium societies where pedigree ownership is concentrated.
Alarming Public Health Data
The repeated reissuance of the order comes amid a severe public health crisis. According to state health department data, Gurugram leads Haryana in animal bite cases, with 42,613 recorded in a single recent year—roughly 117 per day. Haryana as a whole crossed 1.43 lakh dog bite cases annually, with over 60,000 officially recorded in one year. The state's stray dog population was estimated at around 1.8 million in an animal husbandry department study spanning 2019 to 2023. Nationally, dog bite cases climbed from 21.9 lakh in 2022 to 30.5 lakh in 2023 and 37.1 lakh in 2024, according to government figures.
Appeal to Residents
Commissioner Dahiya appealed to residents to register their pets on time and follow the rules, stating the move is in the wider interest of public safety, sanitation, and civic order. The MCG emphasizes that registration is a critical step to manage the pet population and mitigate the rising incidence of dog bites.
