Dog owners warned to look after their dogs
Dog owners are warned about the reappreciations of being irresponsible.
DOG owners are encouraged to take care of their dogs. This comes after there has been a concern about dogs wandering around in the Westville area away from their homes. Nicole Jack of Serendipitty Rescue said this has been a concern, and the owners are to blame.
“Causes for dogs getting lost is often bad owners, unfortunately. They do not ensure the property is secure enough. When there are fireworks, often people leave their pets in their gardens and go off to party, or stay indoors and leave pets outside. They are scared – the noises are a lot for them.”
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Jack continued to explain that this poses danger to the dog and described the legal implications for owners who do this.
“They often run and often injure themselves in the process. Some cases I’ve recently seen are dogs constantly on the road. The owners say they know where they live and they will come home. If a dog is off its property and bites someone, the owners are liable for any injuries. If not up to date with their vaccinations and rabies, they will be liable for the person that’s been bitten to have rabies jabs at the hospital,” she said.
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She said taking care of your pets should be easy. But, unfortunately, not every pet owner treats their pet like a family member.
“If you cannot afford basic care – food or a bed (hopefully indoors) and annual vaccinations, I don’t believe you should own a pet. With the number of homeless animals and every shelter being full, people need to neuter and spay their pets. It’s irresponsible not to,” she said.
