Doggone! Parliament passes Dogs Bill

A Bill which seeks to provide for care and support for dogs in St Vincent and the Grenadines was passed in Parliament last week.

The Dogs Bill 2024, tabled by Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar, passed without debate during the sitting of the House of Assembley on Thursday, November 28, 2024.

The minister said the Bill was widely debated during the Select Committee stage.

In outlining its details, Caesar said many people in St Vincent and the Grenadines own dogs, but are not honouring their responsibilities.

“If you wish to be a dog owner, there are responsibilities,” he stressed.

With the passage of this Bill, there will be some beaches in SVG where dogs will no longer be allowed.

“There are some people who own dogs, and when they go to the beach, they would take the dog to the beach and it is a nuisance,” Caesar said.

He noted that when this happens, people often run to safety and, “We must bring a stop to this”.

The minister said there will be a list of beaches where dogs from which dogs will be prohibited, adding that signs will be clearly placed on beaches, to indicate whether or not dogs are allowed.

A list will also be published, as to which breeds of dogs are to be muzzled while in public.

“There are certain breeds that we are going to list, which if you have these dogs in the public, that they must be muzzled.”

Minister Caesar pointed out that the Court can make an order, making certain dogs a nuisance. From time to time, farmers have reported losing their animals, primarily goats and sheep to dogs, and there have been instances where dogs have also mauled people to death.