Chandigarh, May 20 -- Balancing compassion with public safety, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has notified timings for dog lovers to feed stray dogs in the city. The dogs are to be fed at designated zones during low-activity hours - from 7 am to 9 am and 7 pm to 9 pm . During winters, the morning timing will be advanced by an hour - from 8 to 10, while the evening timings will remain the same. Sanitary inspectors and field staff have been directed to ensure strict compliance and regular monitoring in allsectors. Violation of the guidelines will invite fines up to Rs.13,000. Medical officer of health Inderdeep Kaur said feeding dogs when streets are quiet minimises anxiety for the animals and prevents conflicts with the general public, thus reducing the number of stray dog bite cases. In March alone, the city saw 1,764 severe dog bite cases (where the skin is torn and bleeding occurs) that required immediate medical attention. The overall count, including mild cases, stood at 3,868 with 2,298 cases involving stray dogs and 1,570 involving pet dogs. In April, the number of severe dog bite cases stood at 1,288. Last year, the MC had earmarked around 200 feeding spots across all sectors of the city where community dogs can be fed by dog lovers. These spots have been earmarked away from residences, parks and play areas of children to ensure public safety, and high-traffic areas. As per MC officials, minimum two and maximum of six dog feeding spots have been designated in every sector of the city. The maximum number of feeding spots, six, have been identified in Sector 23. The least populated sectors - Sector 2 and 5 - have two feeding spots each. Sectors 7, 18, 19, 37 and 49 have five dog feeding spots each. All other sectors have three to four feeding spots each. Kaur said feeding stray dogs at the same time would help stabilise their metabolism and create a routine. Dog lovers also welcomed the move. Tanay Kumar, a dog lover and a resident of Sector 8, said the MC's decision would benefit the dogs and reduce man-animal conflict. Ward 34 councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi said the rules look good but the MC must ensure these are implementedproperly....