Saturday, March 3, 2012

Fiji Legally Defines Stray Dogs as Nocturnal?


The new Dogs Act in Fiji describes stray dogs as those that roam around between 7pm and 5am, whether they are wearing a collar or not. This clearly includes pets on the loose and gives authorities the power to take whatever measures they see fit for the seizure and destruction of these animals.

The report on this that I read in The Fiji Times Online leaves some questions open such as not clarifying whether Fiji has any stray dogs at all during the day. On the face of it this Act could be bad news for unowned dogs given the strong powers authorities will have for “dealing” with the animals. However, hopefully it will be a strong incentive for dog owners to keep their pets under control, which may just be enough to reduce the dog problem to a level that does not trigger the need to use the powers.

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