City Hall issues new rules on dog ownership in apartment blocks
Nairobi county government has issued new strident rules on dog ownership in apartment blocks which, among other things, outline heavy fines for resident’s whose dogs howl throughout the night.
In new by-laws published on Friday, city residents will no longer be allowed to keep a dog in premises that are “not properly and adequately fenced to keep such a dog inside when it is not on leash”.
Apartment tenants who keep dogs that howl throughout the night and cause a nuisance to their neighbours will also be fined.
“A person shall not keep any dog which barks, yelps, howls or whines for more than six accumulated minutes in an hour or more than three accumulated minutes in half an hour,” the by-laws state.
The by-laws commenced on July 22, 2016.
Dog owners will also have to part with sh1,000 to acquire a special tag for their pet and ensure it is always left under the care of a person at home. The tag collar will bear the licence and an inscription of the name and address of the pet’s owner.
Residents who contravene these new rules shall be punished with a fine not exceeding sh5,000.
Any stray dog that does not bear a valid identification tag shall be seized and their owners may get them back after paying a Sh5,000 fine.
The county government will also run a pound where dogs seized for contravention of the provisions of the Act would be kept.
Dog lovers who fancy walking around with their pets in town are not spared either. Their pets must be on a leash all the time in public places.