Council gets tough on dogs

10 Aug, 2014 - 22:08 0 Views

The Sunday News

THE Bulawayo City Council has launched a blitz on dog owners in the city emphasising the need to register all dogs, failure to which will result in the dogs being impounded and the owners being arrested.
Responding to written questions from Sunday News the local authorities senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, said council by-laws clearly stated that all dogs above the age of six months had to be licensed.

She said they were also intensifying their inspection mechanisms to ensure that all dog owners’ properties adhered to set standards, which include secure fencing and gating.

“The by-laws state that no person shall keep a dog aged six months or more within the city boundaries without it being licensed by the council.

“The number of dogs that can be kept on any property measuring less than 2 000 square metres shall not be more than two while the maximum number of dogs that can be kept on any property more than 2 000 square metres is four.

“Anyone desirous of keeping more than the stipulated number of dogs should apply to Council for permission.
“Furthermore, it is required by the by-laws that all dog owners should ensure that their properties are securely fenced and gated so as to keep the dogs within the limits of their properties,” said Mrs Mpofu.

She said their officers were working together with the Zimbabwe Republic Police in their endeavour to monitor the dog situation in the city, which she noted had slowly got out of hand.

“Council has intensified its dog patrols and education efforts in the high density areas. Dog owners without vaccination certificates and dog licences are given dog notices that specify that the dog should be vaccinated and licensed within a specified period of time (normally 48 hours), if after that time the dog owner does not vaccinate or licence his/her dog, a deposit fine ticket that should be paid at the nearest Zimbabwe Republic Police is issued.

“All dog owners that are no longer able to take good care of their dogs are encouraged to surrender the dogs at SPCA instead of letting them roam the streets, failure to vaccinate your dog or allowing your dogs to roam the streets can attract a $20 fine,” said the senior public relations officer.

She noted that there was a need for residents to take the issue of dogs, especially the stray ones, more seriously as they had already recorded a case of rabies.

“Stray dogs should be treated with suspicion as their vaccination status cannot be ascertained.
“Two weeks ago a dog in Njube was found to be rabies positive. There is a need to ensure that all dogs are kept within premises so that they don’t contract rabies from such rabid dogs,” said Mrs Mpofu.

A couple of months ago there was uproar at the council chambers when Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo ordered that dog owners should train their dogs not to bark as they were a nuisance to other residents.

“Dogs should not bark as they make a lot of noise for neighbours. They should be trained to attack quietly,” he said.

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