Bhubaneswar: City mayor Sulochana Das on Friday warned pet owners of strict action if their pets are found defecating in the open. “It is very important that the owners do not exploit public spaces while taking their pets out for defecation. People can keep pets at home but at the same time they need to be responsible,” Das added.The mayor, while citing a recent case of a pet dog attacking a couple in Patiala, also warned the owners of strict action if they fail to ensure the public’s safety. “Responsibility will be fixed on the owners for failing to ensure the safety of other people while keeping pet dogs,” Das said.When asked about the pet bylaw that the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) had passed in the corporation in 2023, Das said, “The civic body has no power to make it into a law by bringing out a notification. The pet bylaw is pending with the govt.”In April, 2023 the BMC passed the draft bylaw in the corporation and sent it to the govt for approval. A format that will be used for applying for a licence to keep pet dogs is under the govt’s consideration after which the draft bylaw will be approved, official sources said.The mayor, however, maintained that even if the bylaw is yet to be approved by the govt, since BMC looks after sanitation and takes every care to restore the aesthetic beauty of the city, any attempt to make public places dirty will attract penalties. “We are spending crores to beautify the city in all aspects. People, especially dog owners, should understand that public places are not meant for defecation,” she added.The bylaw primarily states that in order to keep a dog, the owner should obtain a registration certificate within a week of the arrival of the pet in the city. A certificate that the dog has been inoculated for rabies has been made a must, besides third party insurance and sterilisation proof from a veterinarian.