By Ndaba Dlamini
VISITORS to any of the city's many parks will be urged to keep their dogs on leashes at all times, during a three-month campaign by City Parks.
The campaign is part of efforts by the City agency to make parks more conducive to visitors' health and safety. It has turned to the public open space by-laws affecting pets for information, says Jenny Moodley, the spokesperson for City Parks.
The agency is erecting signs about walking dogs in parks and park wardens have been briefed and will be advising offenders when transgressions occur, says Moodley. "A handout will also be distributed to offenders in this regard."
There have been many complaints from park users regarding attacks by dogs that are not on leashes. "In Emmarentia, adjacent to the Johannesburg Botanic Gardens, section six has been set aside for dogs. The area is not fenced and we are advising dog owners to be extra cautious when letting their dogs roam freely. We are also reminding them that this is a transgression of the by-laws," Moodley says.
She explains that there are sometimes dog droppings at the botanic gardens, dogs trample on the "valuable species" in the gardens, chase the ducks and accost people picnicking. Children are also scared by huge dogs.
"We have also had reports of dog owners 'dropping off' their dogs at the entrance to the gardens and returning later to fetch them," Moodley adds.
In terms of City by-laws regarding walking dogs in public open spaces, "no person may, within a public open space, walk any dog unless:
- It is a public open space or any part thereof which has not been designated by the council as an area where no dogs are allowed, and it is on a leash and under control of a person; or
- It is a public open space or any part thereof designated by the council as an area where dogs can run free."
The by-laws also stipulate that if a dog excretes in a public open space, the owner should immediately pick up the droppings and put them in a waste bin or other receptacle provided by the council. Any person who contravenes or does not comply with any notice that has been put up can be prosecuted
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