PORT ELIZABETH - NELSON MANDELA BAY METRO TO TIGHTEN ILLEGAL DOG BREEDING BY-LAWS

The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro is looking to tighten its by-laws regarding illegal dog breeding.

The new environmental health by-laws will undergo public participation in the new financial year.

Illegal breeding remains problematic and results in overflowing shelters and many dogs are being used in dog fights.

The Save-a-Pet shelter in Port Elizabeth serves as a safe haven for stray dogs. Every cage is full and the dogs just keep coming.

Manager at Save-a-Pet, Leigh Done says:

One of the misconceptions people have is that a female dog must have litter of puppies before she is sterilized this is incorrect its actually healthier for her to be sterilised before her first heat. Also the problem with that is who knows where the puppies end up and those puppies go on to breed more and more puppies."

The municipality is clamping down. Fines of up to R2500 can be given.

A hundred fines have been issued since September 2015 and more than 250 warnings have been given.

The by-law states that only two dogs per property are allowed and they must be sterilised.

Spokesperson for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Muthubanzi Mniki says:

"We have also noticed that the problem is much more worse than others like in your northern areas where people are using these dogs that they breed for fighting and stuff but our officials are out  there working on the issue."

There are currently 11 registered breeders in the metro, all in good standing.

There are 10 pending applications.

VIA - sabc.co.za