Chandigarh Bans Six Aggressive Dog Breeds Including Pitbull and Rottweiler: New Pet Bylaws Explained

The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has implemented a ban on six aggressive dog breeds including American Bulldog, American Pitbull, Bull Terrier, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, and Rottweiler as part of its newly notified Pet and Community Dogs Bye-laws.

This prohibition has been established for public safety concerns, though current owners of these breeds with registered dogs will be exempted from the ban.

On Wednesday, the Chandigarh administration officially announced 'The Municipal Corporation Chandigarh Pet and Community Dogs Bye-Laws, 2025.' According to the notification, these specific dog breeds have been classified as aggressive, potentially aggressive, and dangerous, resulting in their prohibition within Chandigarh's municipal jurisdiction.

The notification specifies that these banned breeds will no longer be registered following the implementation of these by-laws. However, existing owners will be granted a 45-day buffer period to register their dogs. After this grace period expires, any owner, breeder, or pet shop keeper found breeding, keeping, or harboring these banned breeds will face penalties as outlined in the bye-laws, including immediate seizure of the dogs by authorized officials.

Dog owners who already have these breeds properly registered with the municipal corporation before the notification will not be affected by this clause. Nevertheless, these owners must ensure their dogs are muzzled at all times during walks and kept on leashes strong enough to maintain control and prevent incidents.

The notification also recommends that owners of these breeds have their dogs trained by trainers registered with the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh to promote docile and controlled behavior to avoid any unwanted incidents.

The new bye-laws mandate registration for all dogs and establish limits on the number of dogs allowed per household based on property size. A family in a house up to five marla (approximately 125 square yards) may keep one dog, or if the house has three floors, one dog per floor. Houses less than 12 marla may have two dogs, those less than one kanal may have three dogs, and one kanal (20 marla) houses may have four dogs.

Dog owners are prohibited from taking their pets to several public areas including Sukhna Lake, Rose Garden, Shanti Kunj, Rock Garden, Leisure Valley, Bougainvillaea Garden, Chandigarh Botanical Garden, Sarangpur, and other public places or gardens as notified by the Commissioner from time to time.

The bye-laws strictly prohibit allowing dogs to defecate in public spaces. If a dog does defecate in public, owners must collect the waste in a poop bag and dispose of it properly or face penalties. Owners must also prevent their dogs from defecating near others' residences to avoid causing annoyance.

Additionally, dog breeders, pet shop owners, trainers, and groomers are required to register with the civic body under the new regulations.

For community and ownerless dogs, caregivers and occasional feeders must ensure feeding occurs only at locations designated by the Municipal Corporation and maintain cleanliness to prevent littering. Anyone throwing food in public places other than designated areas, thereby attracting community dogs and potentially causing danger or public annoyance, will be guilty of an offense and subject to punishment under applicable laws.

The municipal corporation has authority to impound any unattended pet dog causing nuisance through excessive barking or howling, left fastened unsupervised for extended periods, or wandering in public without supervision. Owners violating these bylaws will be subject to fines imposed by the Registration Authority.