The City of Cape Town has extended the original deadline of 31 July 2012 for automatic permission to have extra animals by one month. The new deadline is now 31 August 2012. There is no charge involved.
Over recent weeks, interaction with pet owners and animal welfare organisations has identified a degree of confusion and concern arising from misperception and conjecture.
This, in turn, has resulted in a slowing of the registration process and thus the granting of automatic permission for animals in excess of the limits stipulated in the Animal Bylaw 2010. This is despite the City having increased the permissible numbers previously legislated.
To arrive at a useful animal population database, the City has exercised its discretion and has extended the deadline for automatic permission to have extra animals to 31 August 2012 and the final deadline for the whole process to 30 September 2012 before law enforcement officers impose any penalties for non-compliance.
The Pet Registration process is in line with the City of Cape Town’s Animal Bylaw of 2010 which stipulates that instead of buying an annual dog licence, pet owners are simply required to register all cats and dogs kept on their property. There is no charge for registration.
Pet owners applying timeously (before 31 August 2012) for more animals than they are permitted for their properties will qualify for automatic sanction/permission. Hereafter they may be fined for their excess animals and for pets without a chip, name tag or tattoo to identify them.
Pet owners applying after this deadline can be assured that their applications for more animals than permitted per property will never be unreasonably denied, but may involve inspections. The application process commenced on 1 March 2012.
This process will help the City develop accurate information on the domestic animal population in Cape Town. It is completely free. Knowing the type, breed and other information will aid in animal welfare planning and budgeting. Owners of unregistered pets may be issued a compliance notice, which may be followed by a fine of R300. Failure to adhere could also lead to any unregistered animals being impounded under the Animal Bylaw.
Once pet owners have registered their pets, they are encouraged to update their pets’ details in respect of new pets/pet deaths as and when they occur.
To register your pets, click here.
