The Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) said yesterday that it fully supported the calls for improved legislation to address animal welfare and ownership in the light of the recent mauling to death of Charles Roopchand.
In a press release, the GSPCA said the increasing incidence of canine attacks appeared destined to become common in the society. It said too it recognised that the local animal laws were “ineffective and do not adequately empower law enforcement bodies and the GSPCA to actively pursue legal recourse for the many animal-related crimes committed… especially those involving cruelty towards animals.”
In this regard, the GSPCA said, it has contracted the services of a local lawyer to review the existing animal legislation of several selected countries and to craft new and or amend local animal laws based on the improvements identified in the review.
It said it would appeal to the public to support the draft legislation and to ensure that it correlated with the country’s laws. The group said the new regulations would address specifically, issues of responsible pet ownership, dog fighting and breeding, among others.
It also called on the Guyana Police Force and other relevant bodies for support and co-operation in enforcing the animal laws and for the legal fraternity to provide additional assistance that might be needed.
The GSPCA also extended condolences to Roopchand’s bereaved family.
