The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that police must ensure the safety, health and well-being of impounded animals as there have been too many reports of deaths of impounded animals caught by its stray catching unit.
In a press release, the ministry said the stray catching programme started last year has been successful as there has been no report of an incident involving a stray that resulted in the death of a person. The programme, which started on January 3, 2013 and ended December 31, 2013 aimed to enhance traffic safety by catching and impounding strays; thereby reducing the number of accidents resulting in injury, death of road users and animals and damage to vehicles.
The programme, which was conducted in Georgetown and Berbice caught and impounded a total of 4434 animals comprising three donkeys, 2089 cows, 1167 goats, 430 horses and 745 sheep. The pounds at ‘A’ Division accommodated 174 animals; ‘B’ Division, 2,664; ‘C’ Division, 769; ‘D’ Division, 758 and ‘G’ Division, 69. However, the ministry is concerned about the number of animals that have died in these pounds and those that have escaped from them, and called on police to take greater care of them.
The ministry is also taking into consideration the recommendations to have a pound built in the East La Penitence Police Station compound and that all police pounds be compartmentalized to facilitate the accommodation of both small and large animals.
According to the press release, stray catchers benefited from weekly training sessions in subjects including the Laws of Guyana relating to the Pounds Act Chapter 71:0;4 the Cattle Stealing Prevention Act Chapter 9:03; the Local Government Act Chapter 28:02 and the Roads Act Chapter 5:01; Police and Public Relations; Guidelines for catching stray animals and Self Defence.
