Many Barbadians still do not know the importance of having their dogs registered, says Animal Control Officer Peter Belgrave.
Speaking on Friday at the Animal Control Unit’s outreach at Massy Stores in Holetown, Belgrave said there was still too much ignorance surrounding the licensing of dogs.
“So far most persons have expressed ignorance to knowing that their dog has to be licensed. Quite a few people said they were unaware that all dogs should be licensed,” he said.
“It’s not even expensive. It’s just $5 for one year or $10 for three years.”
Belgrave said that was one of the main reasons for having the outreach sessions at supermarkets across the island.
“Animal Care And Control Week would have started on April 9, so we are just about winding down the week. So, basically, we have just been touching high-traffic areas encouraging persons to license their dogs.
“One of the concerns we get all the time is that coming to the Animal Control Centre is too time consuming and persons don’t have the time to get there. So our strategy is to meet people where they conduct their everyday activities. So far we have had a very good turnout,” he added.
Belgrave said that over the past week, more than 100 people licensed their dogs for the first time and 40 renewed expired licences.
“The outcome has been very good. We’ve also been encouraging persons to neuter their dogs. We have always found that people know things but don’t necessarily remember, so we just want to remind them.
“Tomorrow we expect another big day when we wrap up at Popular Discount in Kendal Hill as we close out the week,” he added. (DB)