The objective of the Irwin Animal Rescue Centre is to do something about the over-population of domestic pets.

When welfare societies are destroying animals in the hundreds and thousands, when domestic pets are running in the streets, when animals are squashed on the highways, when animals are seen to be thrown out of cars, and the Irwin Animal Rescue Centre has nearly eight hundred animals who have been abused, it is proof enough that there is an escalating problem, and something has to be done.

These new amendments will bring in animal control and minimise animal abuse and stop the over population of domestic pets. Your signature is required to show that you would have no objection to these new amendments being inserted into the Animals Protection Act.

It is important to understand that without the support of the people, we can do nothing to help animals.

YOUR SIGNATURE IS NEEDED…… desperately!

LEGISLATION DOCUMENT

To consolidate and amend the laws relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals.

1. "Definitions to.-in this Act unless the context otherwise indicates-

"License" means a yearly license in duplicate for the ownership of any dog or cat over the age of six months, which can be obtained from any post office, licensing department or police station. R20 for any male dog, spayed bitch or spayed or neutered cat over the age of six months. R250 for an unsterilised bitch queen or un-neutered tom cat.

"Subsidised sterilisation" means the recovery of R200, from the paid up license fee of R250, towards the sterilisation of a bitch, queen or tom, by any veterinarian or animal welfare society, on the production of the duplicate license, valid only in the first year of registration, up to and including the 31st December of that same year: veterinarian and welfare societies can recuperate the subsidy given on submission of duplicate license, to the licensing department up to and including the 31st December of that same year.

"Stray animal" means any apparently ownerless domestic cat or dog which any authorised police officer; (meaning a member of any force establishment under any law for the carrying out of police powers, duties or functions) or any other person may impound at any municipal pound or place designated on the authority of the nearest pound in that area, until the person claiming such domestic animal shall have produced to the pound master or person in control of the place where that animal is impounded, a license thereof, and will be liable to the fees prescribed by the municipal pound laws and incorporated into the Animals Protection Act of No.71 of 62.

APA 2. (1) iv) fails to make adequate provision for suitable food, potable water, rest and secure shelter when holding on to or impounding any apparently ownerless domestic animal, which will include a stray cat or dog, until the owner can be found or the stray animal is transferred to the local pound;

or

(iv.s.(a)) who impounds an apparently ownerless animal into or onto property or land in his control and who does not take sufficient steps to find the owner, by notifying any society for the prevention of cruelty to animals or local municipal pound or notifiable police officer in that area; shall be guilty of an offence;

(vi) who after having impounded an apparently ownerless stray domestic cat or dog and who has notified and recorded the finding of a stray animal and given description thereof; but has not taken the stray animal to the pound nor taken it to any other society for the prevention of cruelty to animals within the statutory 96 hours under pound regulations, or found the owner of said animal; will be deemed to be the owner of such animal and will be required to purchase a relevant license within 30 days;

or

(t) neglects to obtain a sterilisation certificate from a veterinarian and a valid license at the cost of R20, to warrant ownership, possession, charge or custody of any sterilised cat (male and female), or sterilised bitch, (owners with dogs or bitches trained to assist with a disabled person e.g. being blind or deaf are exempted from paying license fee but must be a holder of a licence);

Annual license valid up to and including 31st December of the year of license:.) Any society for the prevention of cruelty to animals will be exempted.

(u) neglects to obtain a valid license of R250, for the, ownership, possession, charge or custody of an unsterilised bitch, queen or un-neutered tom; (Annual license valid up to and including 31st December of the year of license: R200 of which can be recuperated in the subsidised sterilisation in the first year of license, on production of the duplicate license certificate to any veterinarian or welfare society if the said bitch, queen or un-neutered tom is sterilised.)

(v) a valid license of R20, to warrant ownership, possession, charge or custody of any male dog; (Annual licence valid up to and including 31st December of the year of license.)

(w) steals or is found to be in possession of a license certificate or sterilisation certificate, issued to someone else in respect of another persons domestic cat or dog, in terms of this Act, without being able to account satisfactorily for the possession thereof; shall subject to the provisions of the Act and any other law, be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding R4.000......

COMMENT:

The new amendments speak for themself. In short we are out to stop the mass slaughter of our domestic pets in South Africa and the only way to stop it is at the root of the problem which is conception.

With license to keep an unsterilised cat or bitch being so high, it will encourage people, no matter what the cost to get their pets sterilised and licensed at R20 for fear of facing a fine of R4.000 under the Animals Protection Act.

Anyone paying a license to keep an unsterilised bitch or cat (male or female), for whatever reason will pay a license fee of R250. R200 will be refundable on production of the duplicate license and the sterilisation of pet within that year, Veterinary surgeons and welfare societies can claim the R200 back from the Licensing Department on production of the duplicate certificate and copy of the sterilisation certificate.

Owner of that pet will only pay the balance of the cost of spay, because the veterinarian will claim the rest back.

Any pet going to new home must be accompanied by an up-to- date license. New owner must license pet in their name.

Anybody keeping a pet without a license will be fined under the Animals Protection Act, up to R4.000. Pet will be confiscated and can only be claimed back on production of a license.

When welfare societies are destroying animals in the hundreds and thousands, when domestic pets are running the streets, when animals are squashed on the highways, when animals are seen to be thrown out of cars, and the Irwin Animal Rescue Centre has nearly eight hundred animals who have been abused, it is proof enough that there is an escalating problem, and something has to be done.

The above laws will bring in animal control and minimise animal abuse and stop the over population of domestic pets. Your signature is required to show that you would have no objection

SUGGESTED NEW AMENDMENTS TO THE ANIMALS PROTECTION ACT

LEGISLATION DOCUMENT