Pet owners in the steel city have said they are facing police atrocities while taking their dogs for daily walks.

From booking pet owners under Section 188 of the IPC (disobeying order of public servant) to hurling abuses, policemen are creating an atmosphere of terror for them, animal lovers have said.

Some complained that they failed to reason with cops about how going on walks was a necessity for dogs trained to relieve themselves outside.

When this correspondent took out her dog for a morning walk on Thursday, a policeman from Kadma police station not only verbally abused her, but also threatened her with dire consequences.

Jugsalai resident Raj Kumar (name changed on request) said he was assaulted by police on Wednesday night during a walk with his dog.

A number of pet owners have been slapped with notices under Section 188 of the IPC.

Additional district magistrate (law and order) Nand Kishor Lal said no one was allowed to break the lockdown rules. “Dog owners may walk their pets on terrace or inside housing complexes. Lockdown rules don’t allow anyone outside. We have booked many pet owners,” Lal added.

Animal lovers begged to differ.

“No responsible citizen wants to roam around during the lockdown. Taking a dog out for walk is a necessity not a wish,” dog owner Moulick Ranpara, a resident of Baradwari, said.

Animal experts said there were no guidelines prohibiting daily walks for dogs, but it all depended on how animal-friendly the local administration was.

Saurabh Gupta, an honorary member of the Animal Welfare Board of India under the Union ministry of animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries, said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself said people should take care of animals. Not taking animals out for their basic need is tantamount to cruelty.”

According to the guidelines issued by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), pet owners shouldn’t go too far from their homes and take precautions such as wearing a mask and maintaining social distance.

“Pune also had similar problems, but the administration allowed certain relaxations after protests by animal activists,” Meet Ashar, a PeTA activist from Mumbai, said.

East Singhbhum senior superintendent of police Anoop Birtharay said he would look into the matter. “I understand that pet owners don’t have a choice. This thing will be discussed and I hope pet owners do not have to face unnecessary problems.”