One of the aims of International Dog Day, which is celebrated annually on August 26, is to promote adoption of dogs instead of buying them from pet shops. Keeping dogs is important but in Rwanda, it comes with regulations. It is possible that a dog can bite someone and even harm them. Above and beyond, dog owners are advised to have their pets vaccinated and restrained at all times. The standard procedures are detailed in the ministerial order No. 009/11.30 of 18/11/2010 on animal husbandry in its articles 4 to 10, which underline the requirements necessary to own a dog, penalties to owners of abandoned dogs and action taken against stray dogs. Article 7 on declaration on detention of dogs states that each dog must carry a leather collar fitted with a numbered medal and that every dog owner shall ensure routine immunisation against rabies. “In urban areas, towns and villages, any dog owner shall declare it to the nearest police station or to the Executive Secretary of the sector of his/her residence,” reads part of the article. Part of article two declares that all animal husbandry in Rwanda should be carried out in a kraal or specifically known farm and that any animal found without any authorization from the concerned authority at a place other than where it is normally kept shall be considered as stray animal. Article 4 states that any stray animal that falls within the provisions of Article 2 shall be captured by the administration, impounded, maintained and fed at the expense of the owner or any other person who is responsible for the wandering of the animal. “The impounding of a stray animal shall require a statement on the fact, of which a copy, as a notice to the public, shall be posted at the administration office,” reads part of the article. What measures are taken against stray dogs? Article 9 of the ministerial order states that wherever stray dogs without owners are found, they shall be shot down by the veterinary authorities with the assistance of the Police. Where the action of shooting them down is not applicable, instead of being publicly sold or shot down, the dogs may, upon written authorization of the District authority, be given to any official establishment for use in scientific research. The same legislation also sets penalties in case a domestic animal has caused serious damages including serious injury or death, the owner of the animal shall be punishable in accordance with article 118 of the penal code, which tackles causing bodily harm. “Any person who, through carelessness, inattention, negligence, lack of precaution and foresight, causes bodily harm to another person but without any intention of endangering his/her life commits an offence,” reads the article. Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of at least three months and not more than six months and a fine of at least Rwf500,000 and not more Rwf1 million or only one of these penalties, reads the penal code. If the injury results in death, the penalty is imprisonment for a term of six months and not more than two years and a fine of at least Rwf500,000 and Rwf2 million or one of these penalties.
