DARG
Main Road – Hout Bay
Phone - (021) 790 0383 Fax - (021) 790 2050 Email - info@darg.org.za Web - www.darg.org.za
Dear Friend of DARG
You’ll doubtless know of the City of Cape Town’s new Animal By-law which is presently open for comment from the public. You’ll know too that there are many voices against the by-law, ours among them, and you will likely have seen some media coverage on the subject.
While we agree on the need to consolidate current legislation, we believe that the Animal By-law should result in improved animal rights, be easy to implement and should not render an already flawed system even more difficult to administer. (Some of our objections are noted in greater detail at the foot of this message.)
We need your support in voicing effective opposition to the By-law and in ensuring that the opinions of animal rights groups are taken into account by the City. You can help directly by –
• Attending our Promenade Parade on Saturday 25th October at 10:30. We’ll meet at Three Anchor Bay, opposite Sea Point Place and, at 11:00, will walk to the Pavilion to present a Memorandum to a representative of the Mayor;
• Circulating this message as widely as possible;
• Joining our Facebook Group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42869030751;
• Downloading the Animal By-law at http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/ByLaws/Pages/Draft_by-laws.aspx;
• Before 31 October, emailing frederick.venter@capetown.gov.za to directly voice your concerns to the City.
Let us put our collective voices together to ensure that the Animal By-law serves our City, its citizens, and our animals, in the best way possible.
We hope to see you on Saturday.
Sincerely
Joy Giovanini
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Key Animal By-law Concerns
The by-law, as it presently stands, is unconstitutional and is a violation of animal rights. In particular –
• The by-law intends to unreasonably curtail the number of animals that may be kept on any premises;
• It suggests monitoring processes which will be at best, ineffective, and at worst impossible to administer;
• The draft document is silent on the qualifications of persons charged with enforcing the by-law;
• Where more than two dogs will live on the premises, a permit will be required, for a fee, and the consent of neighbours will need to be sought;
• The provisions to seize, impound and “destroy” animals are a disgrace and, far from encouraging responsible animal ownership, will have quite the opposite effect;
• The education of animal owners, as well as animal sterilisation and adoption campaigns have not been addressed by the by-law.
We have compiled a detailed schedule of objections and shall submit this to the City.
