SPCA gets a lifeline

The Swakopmund SPCA will get its usual funds to deal with stray dogs in the town.
Jessica (Erongo) Botes
Adolf Kaure

The Swakopmund municipality will continue to provide its annual donation of N$80 000 towards the Swakopmund SPCA.

The town council’s management committee also approved the implementation of 20% special reduced rates for the SPCA’s water consumption.

The SPCA has been tasked to facilitate the boarding, de-worming, euthanisation, sterilisation and vaccination of all dogs impounded by the animal control officer in addition to their normal activities.

The animal control unit of the municipality will be expanded by employing an additional staff member to assist the animal control officer as from July 2019.

This comes after the SPCA proposed an increased collaboration between the Swakopmund municipal health services department, nature conservation (MET), state veterinary, the SPCA and related non-governmental organizations. It also proposed that the animal patrol unit of the municipality be strengthened.

The SPCA has also been allowed to demand dog license from owners who claim their impounded pets at the SPCA.

With the development of towns and cities, stray dogs have become one of the most serious public management problems around the world and a widespread concern to the public. Stray dogs have many negative impacts on the environment, as well animal and human health.

According to the SPCA, the council is responsible for keeping the streets clean and free from stray dogs, although it permanently requires the assistance of the SPCA in order to meet the objective.

The SPCA has indicated that the dog population has increased from 500 in 2012 to approximately 32 000 in 2018.

Stray dogs have many negative impacts on the environment and human health. The animals cause noise pollution, defecate on the street and pavements, and scavenge on rubbish heaps. Stray dogs can cause a collision when dogs run into the road, which might even result in injury to other people and also to itself. They can transfer and spread rabies which is a deadly disease.

The World Health Organization estimates there are more than 200 million stray dogs worldwide and every year 55 000 people die of rabies. Several dog attacks are reported annually. Mange is commonly observed among dogs in Swakopmund. Mange is a highly contagious skin disease found in dogs and is caused by mites.