Dog owners to take responsibility
ROSEBANK – According to the NSPCA, the South African Police Service enforces the Animal Matters Amendment Act no 42 of 1993 which addresses human injuries caused by animals.
The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has issued a warning to dog owners to take responsibility for their dogs when outside of their premises.
This comes after the organisation said in a statement that dog attacks have become more prevalent in recent years, resulting in human fatalities.
“The true culprits behind these attacks are often the owners of the animals. Irresponsible and negligent ownership of aggressive animals is often the cause of those attacks,” said the NSPCA in a statement.
The organisation said owners should take responsibility for their animals in every aspect.
“Properties should be securely enclosed to ensure that animals do not escape. If dogs are taken for walks, this should be done by a person who is strong enough to control the dog, and the dog should be on a leash.”
According to the NSPCA, the South African Police Service enforces the Animal Matters Amendment Act no 42 of 1993 which addresses human injuries caused by animals.
All dog attacks should therefore be reported to the nearest police station.
The act states that ‘…Any person as a result of whose negligence causes injury to another person shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment…’
In 2020, the Supreme Court of Appeal handed down a judgement which stated that people should be entitled to walk in the streets without fear of being attacked by dogs and, where such attacks occur, they should in most circumstances be able to look to the owner of the dog for recompense.
The court said there were three recognised defences for dog attacks, which include:
- That the injured party was in a place where they had no right to be
- The animal was provoked either by the injured party or a third party
- The custody and control of the animal have been passed to a third party who negligently failed to prevent the animal from causing harm.
According to the NSPCA, attacks outside of these circumstances would result in the owner being held liable.
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