Solwezi Municipal Council in collaboration with Zambia Police has eliminated a total of 71 stray dogs in the district during the dog cropping exercise which was conducted from 3rd to 12th, April 2023.
During the exercise it was observed that some dog owners especially in compounds did not confine their dogs inspite some of them being vaccinated hence, them straying to the streets. It was also observed that some community members were keeping too many dogs; an act which is illegal as a household is only allowed to have a maximum of two(2) dogs.
Some community members have expressed concerns on how the failure to care for dogs has led to excess littering in communities as some dogs are in a habit of frequenting garbage bins for food. The Local Authority therefore wishes to caution all Solwezi residents who have domesticated dogs to care for them by feeding and confining them to avoid public nuisance.
Some of the dogs eliminated were not registered with the Local authority. A team of Council Health Inspectors seized the opportunity to educate dog owners on the importance of registering and confining their dogs to avoid them being cropped.
The dog cropping exercise was conducted as a result of numerous complaints from residents in various localities and the recent reported cases of rabies in dogs and goats in North Western Province.
The Council is mandated to registered and control the population of dogs in Solwezi district according to provisions in the Control of Dogs Act Cap 247 of the laws of Zambia
