The Ministry of Home Affairs says that from June 1 it will be undertaking a campaign to rid the public spaces of stray animals, noting that the exercise is being undertaken as a result of the danger these animals pose to road users.
The Ministry in an Advisory published in yesterday’s Sunday Chronicle said that it will be aggressively tackling stray animals that are found roaming on and along the public roadways.
These animals include horses, mares, geldings, ponies, mules, asses, bulls, cows, oxen, heifers, steers, colts, fillies, buffalos, kids, calves, sheep and goats. The advisory noted that Section 6 of the Pounds Act Cap 71:04 empowers any police officer, constable or anyone authorized in writing by the Chief Executive Officer of a Regional Democratic Council to seize and impound animals tethering, grazing or straying on public premises.
The ministry is advising the owners of those animals to ensure that they are branded in accordance with the law so that they can be redeemed from the various impounding stations. The Ministry added that anyone claiming an impounded animal will have to pay the requisite fees for poundage expenses, compensation of the stray catchers and money incurred as a result of feeding and advertising the sale of the stray.
The advisory also stated that if the strays are not redeemed within one week they shall be sold.
In March of last year the ministry launched a 12-man stray catching unit that was expected to work along with the Guyana Police Force to contain stray animals. The Unit comprised drivers and catchers, and four trucks for transporting the animals to the pounds.
However, that Unit went out of service a while after and the vehicles remained parked in the Ministry of Home Affairs Compound. Many questions have been raised about the state of the pounds and the conditions that the animals are kept in.
The Pounds (Amendment) Bill passed in the National Assembly in April 2010 provides that a fee of $5,000 is to be paid to a stray catcher or any other person for every animal he/she takes to the pound. Prior to the amendment, the Act was revised in 2007, increasing the fee from $30 to $1,000.
