SPCA: Implement animal by-laws now
2011-07-01 14:29
Cape Town - The Cape of Good Hope (CoGH) SPCA is calling on government to finalise an animal by-law to enforce a rule on the maximum number of dogs per household.
This comes after an attack on a 3-year-old boy in the Sweet Home Farm informal settlement in Cape Town on Tuesday, who was mauled to death by a pack of dogs.
Numerous residents in the area, who no longer want dogs in the community, have reportedly surrendered their dogs to the SPCA after the incident, too scared that it might happen again.
“Human welfare and animal welfare are inextricably linked and it’s time for government to allocate adequate resources to the SPCA and other responsible animal welfare groups and enable them to expand their mobile clinic and sterilisation campaigns.
“We also need the City of Cape Town to finalise the animal by-law and enforce the maximum number of dogs per household rule,” said the Cape of Good Hope SPCA CEO Allan Perrins, adding that the SPCA proposed a maximum number of two dogs per household in the city.
“The City of Cape Town must come to the party. They have limitless resources when it comes to charity and we believe they should invest some in animal welfare,” he said.
Perrins believes that sterilisation and the animal by-law, together with proper supervision by dog owners, will aid in preventing incidents like these from occurring again.
“It is a well-known and well-documented fact that sterilisation calms animals down and reduces the risk of them going stray when they are on heat.”
Countless acts of animal cruelty have reportedly taken place since the incident.
The SPCA said that two dogs have been stoned and beaten to death, after it was believed that they were involved in the attack on the toddler.
Since the incident, the SPCA together with the Animal Rescue Organisation (ARO) and Animal Welfare Philippi, have removed a total of 128 dogs from Sweet Home Farm.
