Know your bylaws – Pet owners

WHILE owning a pet is a privilege, the benefits thereof come with certain responsibilities and obligations.

The duties of owners and keepers are specified in the Municipal Bylaws, which are on the municipal website (www.abaqulusi.gov.za). According to these bylaws (Municipal Bylaw Chapter 8 Section (17) (18) and (19), Sec 1 (a) of dogs bylaw- Gazette No 246 0f 1981), there are certain regulations that the public must adhere to when keeping animals.

Senior Superintendent at the Department of Public Safety, Kumarin Naicker, points out some of these regulations and provides some clarity regarding the responsibilities of the municipality and those of the SPCA.

“According to the bylaws it is prohibited to keep a vicious dog on your property. Section 1(b) stipulates that no more than two dogs may be kept on a property without written consent of the council. Section 2 prohibits keeping a dog in a premises which, by reason of its barking, yelping, howling or whining, creates a nuisance or disturbs the public peace. Section 4 stipulates that one may not allow a dog to be in a street, endangering the safety of a person or traffic.”

In Chapter 5 of the bylaws, pertaining to the keeping of poultry, “no person may keep more than ten poultry birds on an erf in a proclaimed township…”

Due to the fact that AbaQulusi does not currently have a functioning pound in place, the municipality has requested the assistance of the SPCA in enforcing certain bylaws pertaining to the impoundment of animals.

Find us on: Facebook, Twitter, and on Whats App 060 986 0731.