PMC in a fix over where to house 300 cats if owner fails to relocate them
The civic body had issued a notice to a resident of Marvel Bounty Society, Hadapsar, for keeping an excessive number of cats in a three-bedroom flat
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is struggling to determine where to house 300 cats if their owner fails to relocate them. The civic body had issued a notice to a resident of Marvel Bounty Society, Hadapsar, for keeping an excessive number of cats in a three-bedroom flat.
A senior PMC health department official said, “We are in a dilemma about where to house these cats if the owner does not relocate them. If the PMC has to intervene, we will need to sterilise and vaccinate them.”
PMC veterinary officer Dr Sarika Funde said, “Following repeated complaints, we conducted a raid with police assistance and found around 300 cats inside the flat. A notice was issued, directing the owner to relocate the animals within 48 hours. The owner has now sought an extension of one to two days.”
She added, “If the owner fails to relocate the cats, the PMC will have to rescue them and move them to a shelter.”
Earlier on Friday, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Pune district, also issued a notice to the pet owner, asking for the relocation of the 300 cats to an alternative site within 48 hours. The notice followed an inspection carried out on Thursday after multiple complaints from society residents.
The notice was served to Rinku Bharadwaj and her sister, Ritu Bharadwaj, who live in the Marvel Bounty Cooperative Housing Society with over 300 cats in their three-bedroom apartment. The inspection team, consisting of officials from the Pune district SPCA, PMC, and Pune police, visited the residence on Thursday, creating a chaotic scene in the society.
FIR against pig owners
Pune Municipal Corporation has decided to file FIRs against pig owners running businesses within the city after the recent death of 54 pigs in Kothrud within a span of a few days. The civic body is taking steps to curb the pig menace in Pune.
Dr Sarika Funde, head of PMC’s animal husbandry department, said, “We have directed all ward officers to file police cases against pig owners operating in the city. Between February 6 and 17, with the help of a contractor, PMC caught 171 pigs.”
A PMC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “PMC conducted tests on the deceased pigs. Preliminary reports suggest the possibility of poisoning due to rivalry between pig owners.”
The civic body has hired an agency to capture stray pigs and send them to slaughterhouses. Following the deaths, the PMC launched an investigation into a possible connection with the spread of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) in the city.