ADog owners across the country are now required by law to have their dogs registered with the Samoa Police Force.
According to Police, starting today people must register their dogs or they could face fines or have their dogs impounded under the Canine Control Act 2013.
According to the Act the owner of any canine shall produce evidence of registration of his or her canine to any Canine Control Officer or to any Member of the Service when requested to do so.
“A person who refuses or fails to produce evidence of registration of his or her canine when required to do so under subsection commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding 2 penalty units,” the Act reads.
Acting Police Commissioner Fauono Talalelei Tapu says people must register their dogs in order to avoid them being taken away by Police.
“We are planning to do the registration in the town area first, before we go out to rural areas,” he said.
“The reason is that we’ve had complaints from tourists and from members of the public.
“They’ve been bitten, even the young ones walking to school are attacked by dogs.
“Some of the kids are seriously injured, so with this amendment it protects the public, not only the tourist but the public and the young ones.”
He said not only do dogs attack people, they also spread diseases.
“We are trying our best to get the public to look after their animals and to feed them,” said Fauono.
“There’s no use having ten, nine, seven dogs if they look skinny.”
He says each person 21 years or older is allowed to register three dogs to their name, at the rate of $5 tala per dog.
If people have more than three dogs, Fauono said an application can be made to Police to register more dogs.
He said if the application is approved each dog after the third will cost $10 to register.
Upon registration each dog will be given a collar with a number on it for easy identification of the owner.
The Acting Commissioner said there is no deadline yet for having your dog(s) registered, as Police are looking at conducting awareness programmes in villages to explain the new Act.
“We will also build a shelter at Tafaigata, and if we find the stray dogs wandering around we will catch them, and then we’ll keep them and feed them for six days,” Fauono said.
He said the owners have six days to claim their dogs, before they are humanely destroyed.
People are also allowed to go and purchase dogs from the shelter, said Fauono.
For the information of dog owners, republished below is Part IV of the Canine Control Act 2013 ‘Registration of Canines’.
PART IV of the CANINE CONTROL ACT 2013
– REGISTRATION OF CANINES
11. Liability of owner failing to produce registration receipt – (1) The owner of any canine shall produce evidence of registration of his or her canine to any Canine Control Officer or to any Member of the Service when requested to do so.
(2) A person who refuses or fails to produce evidence of registration of his or her canine when required to do so under subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding 2 penalty units. (3) In any proceeding under this Act the person shown in the register to be the owner of a canine is regarded as the owner of the canine.
12. Registration marks, badges etc. – (1) The Police Commissioner may approve the use of any means for the identification of a registered canine. (2) A charge may be fixed and imposed by the Service in relation to any approved registration mark, badge, collar or any other device approved under subsection (1). (3) Duplicate registration marks, badges, collars or other approved devices may be issued on payment of their original cost and if the Service is satisfied that the original has been lost, stolen or become inoperable.
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13. Penalty for canines not wearing approved marks, badges etc. – A person who permits his or her canine to be at large while not wearing, using or displaying an approved registration mark, badge or other device indicating current registration, commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding 1 penalty unit.
14. Powers of Canine Control Officers to deal with canines – A Canine Control Officer have the following powers:
(a) to seize by any necessary means, any canine running at large and not wearing a required current registration mark;
(b) to seize any canine that is the subject of any breach of this Act;
(c) to detain a seized canine in a pound or other place determined by the Police Commissioner;
(d) to serve notice of the seizure of the canine on the registered owner of the canine, or any other person appearing to own the canine or have custody of it;
(e) to sell or destroy any canine that has been seized under paragraph (a) and which has not been claimed by its owner within 4 days of its seizure;
(f) to summarily destroy any canine found at large and which has attacked any person or animal, or which the officer has reasonable grounds to believe to may have so attacked any person or animal;
(g) to destroy any canine that is otherwise the subject of a breach of this Act.
15. Offences against this Part – (1) A person who does the following commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding 50 penalty units:
(a) falsely makes or counterfeits any registration mark;
(b) purchases, uses or possesses any fraudulent or counterfeit registration mark; (c) has a canine found to be wearing a badge issued in respect of another canine; (d) removes any registration mark from a canine for any fraudulent purpose, or for any reason that is not consistent with the requirements of this Act. (2) A person who has any canine found, after 1 February in any year, wearing a registered mark issued in respect of any previous year commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding 2 penalty units.
16. Civil liability for breaches of this Part – (1) A person who wilfully and maliciously removes from the neck of a canine, the badge of registration or other device indicating current registration required by this Act to be worn by the canine, commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to pay a fine not exceeding 1 penalty unit. (2) If a canine is destroyed as a result of breaching subsection (1), the person responsible shall pay to the canine’s owner the full value of the canine so destroyed.
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