AMA to seize stray animals

.... from September 1, 2005
Officials at the AMA have announced plans to ?arrest? stray animals found loitering in Accra from September 1,2005.

The animals will be ?seized and auctioned off if their owners don?t claim them in a week.

Dogs, sheep and goats especially tend to roam unattended often posing a danger to motorists when they dash across major streets without warning.

Because of the lack of restriction to their movement, most people tend to think they have no owners. But most animals apparently do.

Their owners mark them with paint or other forms of identification so that sheep and goats especially can?t be stolen. For some drivers this is a complete nuisance.

? If you are driving and you stop, you have to look into your driving mirror behind you. If it?s crossing the street with top speed and you stop it would bring inconvenience.?

? You will see strange cows crossing the street gorgeously, you see you might think it is nice, to me it is nuisance to the public.?

In the face of the drivers? concerns the city authorities says its time to enforce a 1995 byelaw prohibiting loitering by stray animals.

? It has been a source of worry but 1st September, if any sheep and goat are found around it would be arrested and sent to the pen.?

Special Assistant to the Accra mayor, Ali Baba, told Joy News that the byelaws were not implemented because of logistical problems.

But now some dog pounds, sheep and goat pens and horse stables have been built to hold seized animals.

?So when we arrest them and send them to the pen, their owners are given a period of a maximum of one week to come and pay fines and take them back. After the one week, if they fail to come, the law empowers the assembly to sell off the animals and keep the proceeds,? he said.

The AMA expects to receive protective gear for its guards on the mission to catch stray dogs.

Jockeys will also have to pay close attention to their horses after racing. Loitering cats will however not be spared.

? Even if your cat is found to be loitering about, it is subject to be arrested. The horses for instance have been a source of worry when you go right now up to the Castle area you will find them all over the place even up to the national security council building. Soon after the race course the owners leave them and those are the ones we are targetting,? he said.

The challenge though from the 1st September will be how the public can tell if a man furiously chasing a goat or a cat across the street is indeed on official government business.