Residents who are bitten or attacked by dogs have been urged to report the incidents to the police and seek medical attention, as stray and uncontrolled dogs continue to cause concern in communities.
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) animal inspector Allison Sibanda said victims should report dog attacks to the police, who can provide documentation needed to access anti-rabies treatment.
“One is supposed to report to the police when they get bitten by a dog. After reporting to the police, the police will give the person a letter to go to the clinic and to get an anti rabies vaccine. If the dogs are too vicious and people do not want those dogs in their community the person who has been bitten can also report to the police then the police will write a letter to SPCA to remove those dogs in the area or in any other premises,” Sibanda said.
He said victims could also obtain documentation from medical practitioners and take the matter to court if it was not resolved.
On this topic
“The person can get a letter from the doctor as well and if the case is not solved it can even go to court. One is not allowed to walk around with their dog without a leash outside their premises, that’s an offence under the city council bylaws. You’re not allowed to keep a dog without a secure property,” he said.
Sibanda said stray dogs were a problem in many neighbourhoods and that some of the animals were owned dogs that had been allowed to roam because their owners were not properly caring for them.
“In terms of stray dogs roaming around it is really a problem we have seen in most neighbourhoods. We have noticed that some of the stray dogs are owned dogs. In some cases people are not taking care of their dogs so these dogs leave their homes and go out and look for food,” Sibanda said.
Residents have also raised concerns about dogs being allowed to roam in public places without leashes.
Chantell Ngulube, a Ward 4 resident from Buena Vista, said she was bitten by a dog that was being walked by its owner without a leash.
“I was bitten by a dog that was walking around with its owner without a leash. After I was bitten, the owner refused to pay for my medical expenses, and I did not know what to do or where to report the matter,” Ngulube said.
Ngulube said she paid US$120 for medical treatment after the owner refused to cover the costs.
“I had to pay a total of US$120 for my medical treatment after the dog owner refused to pay. I did not know what to do or where to report the matter, and I was also not sure how I could make sure that the owner was held responsible,” Ngulube said.
Melusi Ncube, a Redstone Sunninghill resident, said he was attacked by two stray dogs while walking home from work in the evening.
“I was walking home from work at around 7pm when I was attacked by two stray dogs. The dogs came towards me and attacked me. Stray dogs are a serious problem because many people who walk home in the evening are exposed to these attacks, and so far a lot of people have been attacked by these stray dogs. I’m not the only one. At least if the city council was to do something about it, it would be much safer for residents,” Ncube said.
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