In a concerted effort to curb illegal dog breeding and improve animal welfare, law enforcement officers and representatives from Kouga Local Municipality, along with volunteers from St Francis Animal Rescue and the SPCA, have launched an awareness campaign aimed at educating residents about animal bylaws and responsible pet ownership.
The initiative comes in response to a surge in pitbull breeding, rising complaints about overcrowded properties, and reports of alleged dog fighting. In a firm move to tackle the problem, Kouga Law Enforcement has begun issuing fines and letters of compliance to individuals involved in illegal breeding or keeping excessive numbers of pets, marking a vital first step toward resolving the issue.
Complementing these enforcement efforts, St Francis Animal Rescue has commenced sterilisation procedures for male and female Coonhounds in Sea Vista, aiming to halt breeding and prevent further mistreatment.
To further support these measures, the campaign also focuses on community education and ongoing engagement with residents.
The campaign involves distributing multilingual pamphlets outlining important bylaws, while municipal officers and rescue volunteers engage directly with residents. Every second Wednesday at 16:00, teams return to Sea Vista to reinforce the message that responsible pet ownership is essential to ending cycles of neglect and cruelty.
The aim is to extend this campaign to other towns across the municipality.
A collaborative effort
Susan Rae Fox, chairperson of St Francis Animal Rescue, highlighted the significance of Kouga Law Enforcement Officer, Johnny Hayward, and his team’s presence in working with pet owners.
“Their presence lends authority to our efforts. We are met with more respect, and the possibility of fines for breeding, neglect or cruelty encourages people to take our message seriously and change their behaviour,” she said.
“Our main focus is on sterilisation and bringing down the number of dogs per household. According to municipal bylaws, residents are only permitted to keep two dogs per property.”
Fox added that residents who wish to keep more than the permitted number of dogs must apply for special permission, on the condition that once those dogs pass away, they may not be replaced.
Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman, said, “This campaign is first and foremost about education. We remain committed to supporting initiatives that encourage responsible, humane, and ethical pet ownership throughout our communities.”
