CAPE TOWN - Animal welfare organisations that are dealing with the immense pressure of animal overpopulation and increased health budgets have expressed relief that the highly anticipated mandatory sterilisation law for pets had been passed in the Cape Town metro.
The updated Animal Keeping by-law, which seeks to provide a clear guide to animal owners or care-givers on how to apply the “duty to care” principle within the City, was passed and published on Thursday.
First put out for public comment until May 17, under the “regulation of breeding” the policy states all dogs and cats, of both genders over six months of age, must be sterilised, unless the owner obtains a permit from the City.
“An application to keep an unsterilised animal, must be in writing on a prescribed form, in accordance with relevant City Policies and Standard Operating Procedures and must be accompanied by the prescribed fee,” the by-law states.
An authorised official may cause an animal to be sterilised and the costs thereof may be recovered from the owner, should the official deem it necessary.
Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Khayelitsha said they were “ much on board” with the by-law.
The facility’s general manager, Heidi May, said they were looking into signing their staff up for the inspector course with the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) so that they would have more rights in being able to enforce the new by-law.
“Currently we work with the SPCA inspectors where we suspect cases of abuse.
“Mdzananda Animal Clinic greatly supports the new by-laws. We were also a part of the team who discussed and developed the by-laws along with various other animal welfare organisations in the Cape Animal Welfare forum,” said May.
The Animal Welfare Society of SA said the by-law afforded enforcement officers and their inspectors a lot more “bite than bark”.
“We envisage it being policed on a pro-active basis and enforced on a re-active basis, with guilty parties facing possible imprisonment and/or hefty fines.”
According to Marcelle du Plessis, fundraising and communications manager of Mdzananda, the only challenge with the by-laws was the monitoring thereof.
“Without eyes on the ground all the time, one cannot enforce the by-laws and many people will still get away with having unsterilised animals as there is no policing of it.
“Sadly, we have many citizens who do not obey the law and will just ignore it.”
Du Plessis said they had a policy that any pet that arrived for treatment should be sterilised, and if some pet guardians refused this, like in the past, they would advise people that it was the law and report them.
She said they had been receiving many abandoned animals and that they had to develop a shelter and adoptions programme.
“Sterilisation is essential to reduce the number of unwanted pets, often ending up at shelters or on the streets.”
The facility said there were also many backyard breeders in the community they worked in, producing many puppies and kittens to sell for income.
Cape Times