adminFaith Phiri
Sunday News Reporter
MASVINGO City Council has launched a blitz to hold all dogs that are not registered with the local authority and shooting stray dogs as a way of reducing incidents of humans being injured by the pets.
The move came after a baby in the city was recently mauled to death by six dogs.
In a statement, Masvingo Town Clerk Mr Adolf Gusha, said a team comprising the veterinary services department, police, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), municipal police and the City Health Department has been carrying out the dog tie up order since Tuesday last week.
“The dog tie up order is an annual programme to protect residents from stray dogs that could be rabies infected and as a way to encourage dog owners to vaccinate their pets,” he said.
He said residents who will also fail to produce council dog licences and veterinary vaccination certificates for their pets will be fined.
“Council also issues an education programme on dog ownership in residential areas. Dogs cause chaos in the Central Business District and residential areas when they scavenge for food knocking down bins, hence the need for the local authority to come up with such exercises,” said Mr Gusha.
Masvingo City Council’s chief environmental health officer Mr Zvapano Munganasa, said the exercise was meant to be done as the number of cases of dog attack has seemingly increased in the area.
“The exercise comes in the wake of a four-year-old boy being mauled to death by dogs before they attacked a 10-year-old boy, leaving him for dead. Police have already pressed charges against the two dog owners Ahmad Amon (59) and Edward Mutakatirwa (33),” he said.
The Bulawayo City Council once held a dog shooting exercise two years ago together with Zimbabwe Republic Police to monitor the dog situation which was slowly getting out of hand in the city. They encouraged dog owners that were no longer able to take care of their animals to surrender them to SPCA. Failure to vaccinate the dog or letting the dog roam the streets attracts a $20 fine.
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