City of Joburg to amend bylaws for dogs and cats

The City of Joburg (CoJ) council has given residents and organisations 30 days to comment on suggested bylaw amendments relating to dogs and cats.

The bylaws relate specifically to dogs and cats in section 7(5) of the Rationalisation of Local Government Affairs Act 1998 and Section 12 of the Local Government Municipal Systems Act no 32 of 2000.

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According to the notice, there are five reasons why the amendments are important:

1. Provide that owners of premises and corporate bodies must give written permission for dogs and cats to be kept on the premises;
2. State certain provisions more clearly;
3. Provide that notice be given to an owner or person in control of premises where a dog or cat is kept or taken into custody;
4. Provide clearer directives on the destruction or sale of an animal by a pound master;
5. Provide a duty for the owner to keep the premises clean and to care for the dogs and cats.

These amendments seek to regulate and enforce responsible pet ownership, making sure that pets are kept in good conditions and that they are indeed happy and thriving.

Residents and organisations have until September 28 to respond to the bylaws. They can submit written submissions to either velaphima@joburg.org.za and/or babalwaf@joburg.org.za and/or nondumisop@joburg.org.za.

Current bylaws can be found on www.joburg.org.za.

Pet bylaws outline the specific legalities around owning a dog or a cat. They outline everything from how many dogs and cats are allowed on different types of properties, to what behaviour is prohibited and may not be displayed when owning a cat or a dog, the destruction of unclaimed pets, and sterilisation.

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