THE SA Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that citizens are not allowed to take walks themselves, walk with their dogs or go jogging, even if they live in closed estates or complexes and confine their movements to these areas.
Previous reports had suggested government had banned only jogging and dog walking on public streets, but that these activities could still continue within private estates and complexes, however that now appears to have changed.
A list of admission of guilt fines has been published by the Magistrates’ Courts Judiciary for offences in terms of the Disaster Management Act Regulations 2020.
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Failure to confine oneself to your place of residence, for example, carries an admission of guilt fine of R1,500 for a first offender.
People who move between provinces or metropolitan areas without permission face fines of R5,000 for a first offence.
People involved in illegal gatherings face a fine of R5,000 for a first offence.
Responding to the announcement, a local dog owner described keeping his 11-year-old dog confined to a flat for three weeks as cruelty to animals.
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“I was told by the police that I won’t be able to take my dog for his daily walk to Berea Park, and that if I have questions, I must speak to the minister of police! The SPCA said they can’t assist as they have to comply to what government has said,” he said.
The resident said he lives in a first floor flat with no access to a garden, and said if he had a garden, it wouldn’t be a problem.
“Living in a flat, my dog is trained accordingly but he needs his 10 minute walk to Berea Park, which we do every morning. It is 100m down the road, I can’t see how this is a problem. I know I won’t be the only one who feels this way, as I see a lot of dogs on our walks and know these dogs will also be missing out on their walks,” he said.
Commenting on the concerns raised by the pet owner, animal behaviourist Andy Ording said during these times we need to be mindful of the bigger picture, while being mindful of having the pet’s best interest at heart.
“To the question of whether it is cruel to keep your dog indoors during this time, it is not. There is so much that we can do with our dogs to provide them with the adequate mental stimulation and exercise within the comforts of your own living room,” she said.
Keep your pet active indoors
Andy offers ideas of what you can do with you pet to keep it busy during this time. Games include to toss kibbles down the passage and ask the dog to ‘find it’.
Send them on a treasure hunt – hide treats and help them look for them.
Play a game of tug.
Pull out a few empty cardboard boxes, put treats in one and let your dog find the box with a hidden treat.
Roll up a towel like a swiss roll with treats inside, watch how they unravel it to get to the treats.
Teach your dog some simple tricks – paw, spin, crawl, roll over and touch.
Contact Andy on caninecoachingkzn@gmail.com.
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