The Windhoek Dog Club on Thursday voiced their support for the Windhoek City Council’s decision to not approve proposed ‘dog tax’ regulations.
The proposed regulations would have legally enforced proper behaviour in dogs, but found heavy opposition by a number of council members.
Windhoek Dog Club secretary Irmgard Rannersmann agrees with the council’s verdict: “Of course as a trainer, I think it would be very good if everybody trained their dogs, but there simply isn’t a way to enforce that in Namibia”. “There are way more dogs in Windhoek than people that have the ability to train them, and we cannot teach everyone to properly train their dogs,” she says.
The submission was brought forth due to safety concerns posed by improperly trained and handled dogs, as well as concerns about the health and well-being of the roughly 20 000 dogs living in Windhoek. It cited incidents, including the death of 13-year-old Fred Savage by two aggressive pit bull terriers in 2015, to argue that the current regulations surrounding dog ownership were outdated. However, the proposed regulations were seen as too wide-reaching and unenforceable by the council.
The proposed regulations would require owners to pay a dog tax and apply for a ‘fitness certificate’ annually. This certificate would only be granted upon an inspection of the property.
Proper disposal of dog waste would be mandatory and the council would be required to provide waste bins along walkways for this purpose. Finally, it would impose restrictions on the behaviour of dogs. Part of the condition for keeping dogs outlined in the proposal reads: “Dogs must undergo proper training and exhibit sociable behaviour towards people and other animals. They should not engage in aggressive behaviour or jump on people or other animals”.
Personal property visits would be required in cases of ‘nuisance barking’.
Councillor Job Amupanda says these regulations would essentially impose a dog tax. He notes that such a tax has colonial origins, in that it was used to force local populations into work. He also says such regulations would be near unenforceable.
“We don’t have toilets for people, but now the city would be expected to build waste bins for dogs?”Councillor Ivan Skrywer added: “This stuff shouldn’t become law. Will the city take away dog breeds that bark a lot and replace them with breeds that don’t? It just becomes problematic.”
Councillor Jürgen Hecht highlights the strain these regulations would place on the city’s resources. “Don’t our police have better things to do?”
He questions how many additional staff would have to be hired to fulfil these requirements.
The council did, however, agree that the presence of aggressive or neglected dogs was a legitimate concern for the city, but that the proposed regulations were not the correct way to tackle the issue.
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