City cops crack down on roaming dogs

THE City Police have rounded up 278 stray and unlicensed dogs from the streets of Windhoek, its suburbs and informal settlements since the beginning of April.

After the rabies outbreak in October last year, the City Police issued a warning to all Windhoek residents that they would start impounding dogs that were not kept inside their owners’ yards or were not licensed. The city’s dog-control unit has also issued notices since April, informing people of the legal requirements for keeping dogs and warning that action would be taken against unlicensed dogs roaming the streets.The City Police impounded 14 dogs in Khomasdal and Cimbebasia at the end of last week.The dogs were taken to the SPCA, where healthy dogs will be kept for two weeks to give the owners time to claim them.After the two weeks the dogs will become the property of the SPCA and will be rehomed.Two of the dogs that were brought to the SPCA were put down immediately with the owner’s consent, as they were aggressive and uncontrollable.Several dogs were suffering from the highly contagious disease distemper and also had to be put down.”Our primary function is to safeguard and protect the residents of Windhoek and with an ever-increasing number of people being bitten by these stray dogs, we decided to make good on our warnings,” says the public relations officer of the City Police, Max Hipandua.This is done in accordance with the Regulations on the Control of Dogs in a Municipal Area, which state that: “Nobody may allow any dog, licensed or not, to walk around unattended in public places or on private property except the properly fenced property of its owner.”The regulations also state that: “No person shall keep any dog which disturbs the neighbours or is a nuisance to them by barking or whining continually or excessively”.Dog licences can be bought at any pay point of Municipal accounts at N$30 per dog per year.Dog owners also need to have their dogs vaccinated against rabies and distemper once a year.Dogs must also be spayed or neutered to prevent uncontrolled breeding.The SPCA can help people who earn a low income with subsidised vaccinations, spaying and neutering.It is now almost a year since the mass rabies vaccination campaign of October last year, and pet owners are reminded to take their pets to the nearest State Veterinary Clinic in Windhoek for free booster vaccinations.The city’s dog-control unit has also issued notices since April, informing people of the legal requirements for keeping dogs and warning that action would be taken against unlicensed dogs roaming the streets.The City Police impounded 14 dogs in Khomasdal and Cimbebasia at the end of last week.The dogs were taken to the SPCA, where healthy dogs will be kept for two weeks to give the owners time to claim them.After the two weeks the dogs will become the property of the SPCA and will be rehomed.Two of the dogs that were brought to the SPCA were put down immediately with the owner’s consent, as they were aggressive and uncontrollable.Several dogs were suffering from the highly contagious disease distemper and also had to be put down.”Our primary function is to safeguard and protect the residents of Windhoek and with an ever-increasing number of people being bitten by these stray dogs, we decided to make good on our warnings,” says the public relations officer of the City Police, Max Hipandua.This is done in accordance with the Regulations on the Control of Dogs in a Municipal Area, which state that: “Nobody may allow any dog, licensed or not, to walk around unattended in public places or on private property except the properly fenced property of its owner.”The regulations also state that: “No person shall keep any dog which disturbs the neighbours or is a nuisance to them by barking or whining continually or excessively”.Dog licences can be bought at any pay point of Municipal accounts at N$30 per dog per year.Dog owners also need to have their dogs vaccinated against rabies and distemper once a year.Dogs must also be spayed or neutered to prevent uncontrolled breeding.The SPCA can help people who earn a low income with subsidised vaccinations, spaying and neutering.It is now almost a year since the mass rabies vaccination campaign of October last year, and pet owners are reminded to take their pets to the nearest State Veterinary Clinic in Windhoek for free booster vaccinations.