Chandigarh, July 21 - Dogs are considered man's best friend. But try to keep your friends' circle to two, for authorities here have imposed a tax on the third dog you may keep.

Also make your pets behave, for you are going to be fined if your dog bites anyone or makes a mess in public.

The administration approved and notified the new 'Dogs by-laws' last week according to which one cannot keep more than two dogs at home in Chandigarh. In case you want to, you have to pay to the municipal corporation a 'dog tax' of Rs.1,000 per dog every year .

It is also mandatory for the dog owners to register each pet at the dog cell, when the dog is four months old. Two photographs of the dog have to be pasted on the form with the details of its age, colour, breed and vaccination record. The cost of registration is Rs.200-500.

The corporation will issue a metal chip in return and the owner has to tie the chip to the collar band of the dog.

G. Diwan, medical officer health (MOH) of the corporation, told IANS: 'We have made these laws to make things more streamlined and to curb the menace of dogs in Chandigarh. We have got the approval from the department concerned and these by-laws have been notified by the administration.

'We had been working on these by-laws for a long time and we had kept in mind various parameters while drafting them.'

According to the new by-laws, if a dog bites anybody, its owner has to pay appropriate compensation to the victim. The owner also has to ensure that his dog does not destroy property and does not defecate at public places or in open grounds.

The owner has to provide sufficient space, good food and medical facilities to the dog. Violation of any rule means a Rs.