Sixteen million dollars has been budgeted to rehabilitate the pounds and the Pound Act has been amended to further empower neighbourhood democratic councils and property owners to curb the problem of stray animals along the roadways.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Kellawan Lall charged officers to address this issue seriously as it was an additional step taken to ensure road safety. Lall briefed the officers on the amendments to the act at a meeting held on Thursday, a Government Information News Agency press release said.
The minister explained that the amendments had been made since persons had been contravening the previous act. The new act states that the owner or a person in possession of any private premises or land whereon any stray animal is found trespassing “may take, or by someone authorized by him in writing send the stray to the nearest pound.”
Additionally, the owner of stray animals must pay $3,000 for every large animal, (cow or horse) and $2,000 for small animals (sheep or goat) to the pound-keeper before retrieving the animal.
The act states too that any of these animals found straying on public land or place may be seized and impounded by a police officer or constable or by anyone authorized in writing by the Chief Executive Officer of a Regional Democratic Council.
Regarding private land, “the owner may, without prejudice to his right of any civil action, destroy a pig straying or found on the land or premises subject to three conditions: that the owner must notify, in writing, the owner of the pig and the damage done by the pig, the police shall notify the owner of the pig of the damage done and lastly the owner (land) may, if the pig is found or strays on his land destroy the pig and return the carcass to the owner of the pig.” Each NDC will be provided with a copy of the new Pound Act.
The minister said the heaviest penalty in the law is against those persons who try to abuse the system by impounding animals wrongly. Lall also appealed to the NDCs to ensure that the major roadways and markets and environs were cleaned. He said persons in authority at markets must be more aggressive and ensure that vendors complied with the rules.
