Cape Town - Animal Welfare Society of SA is eagerly awaiting the enforcement of the City of Cape Town’s animal keeping by-law after recent “pandemic puppy explosion” which has led to increases in puppies being surrendered.
The organisation explained that there had been a global surge in pet ownership since the start of the pandemic, with several animal shelters reporting an increase in the number of “foster fails” and adoptions, but this has come with a whole set of unintended results.
“Sterilisation, vaccination and outreach campaigns were put on hold due to lockdown restrictions, leaving many animals to breed uncontrollably and spread disease with disastrous consequences for far too many animals.
“Since the start of spring we have noticed an increase in the number of puppies being surrendered as unwanted. Sadly, many arrive emaciated and riddled with disease and parasites with little to no social skills,” they said.
“Getting them adoption ready is both time consuming and extremely costly and it can take months to find them new homes.”
The animal group said that on Monday they admitted a grossly neglected lactating bitch and nine critically ill puppies from nearby Sweet Home Farm informal settlement, where animal cruelty and neglect is rampant.
“They arrived in a rusty wire crate and disused cooler box. Sadly, all tested positive for parvo virus and were too weak to be saved,” the animal welfare group said.
“This tragic situation, which is now playing itself out daily at huge emotional cost to our team, can easily be prevented if the City of Cape Town enforces its newly adopted animal keeping by-law that makes sterilisation of companion animals mandatory.”
The animal keeping by-law is one of the four recently approved new and amended by-laws that Capetonians will now have to contend with.
The by-laws are amendments to the traffic by-law, animal keeping by-law and the by-law relating to streets, public places and prevention of noise nuisances.
The by-law mentions that reference to the regulation of breeding that “all dogs and cats (male and female) over six months of age must be sterilised, unless the owner obtains a permit from the City to keep the animal unsterilised”.
“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 Animal Welfare Society of SA added that unregulated and uncontrolled breeding of animals is at the heart of many animal welfare concerns and the sooner these by-laws are enforced the better.
See the full approved amendments here: