Editor –
Emnambithi/Ladysmith Municipality would like to set the record straight by saying that at no stage did Council say it is the AACL’s responsibility to carry the costs of stray animals and / or the veterinary clinic. Nor did it say it is not going to carry the costs of stray animals sent for keeping at the AACL’s pound.
There are no proper control measures in place such that anybody would call the AACL to collect a stray animal at any time from anywhere, and Emnambithi/Ladysmith Municipality would be expected to carry those costs. It was then that we felt it was of paramount importance that measures be put in place. That called for a review and tightening of the old MOU that existed. Among other things discussed and agreed upon in a draft MOU was that everybody must call the Control Room at Public Safety on the same telephone number that was in the letter in last week’s Gazette. That would stop the abuse of the system by anybody.
The MOU draft, as agreed upon by both parties (Emnambithi/Ladysmith Municipality and the AACL), has been submitted to the MCM of January 28, 2014, for authorising the municipal manager to sign. Thereafter, it will be sent to Council for adoption and it will be a legal document which binds all parties to this MOU. We made an appeal to the AACL’s representatives to bear with us on this slow process that is in place – it has to be followed as is. We trust this will clear the air, as this was incorrectly whispered in someone’s ear.
