Lucknow, Dec 22 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Department has issued SOPs (standard operating procedures), making it compulsory to register foreign dog breed as a pet with the municipal corporation concerned.

For this purpose, ABC (animal birth control) centres will be opened in every district by the municipal corporation concerned.

This is in keeping with the government order titled 'Animal Birth Control Dogs' Rules of 2001' and following recent increase in incidents of dog bite cases across cities.

Principal secretary, urban development, Amrit Abhijat said that according to the SOPs, once registered, the owners will be given a certificate of vaccination from the department.

However, people opting to adopt destitute dogs of country breeds will be able to avail the first vaccination for their pet for free. This is in accordance with a 2015 supreme court order to control stray dogs in the country.

Dr A.K. Rao, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Animal Welfare, said: "The SOP first issued in 2017 was reinforced in November this year, and the guidelines state that construction of ABC centres in all districts will take place over three phases within the next five years.

A training centre in collaboration with Animal Welfare Board of India will also be set up by the LMC for the sterilisation of dogs, also a measure to control the population of strays.

A four-member monitoring committee will also be constituted for supervision of these measures to be implemented.

According to the SOPs, municipal corporations will have to simplify the license process. They will have to deploy extra staff for registration of dogs. Registration of dogs has shot up to 6,000 this year. Similarly, in Kanpur, around 5,000 pets are registered.

"Many dog owners do not immunise their dogs. Hence, in case of dog bites, there are chances of people contracting rabies. So, for the safety of residents, these SOPs are very important," he said.