PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
City of Cape Town Draft Animal Keeping By-law
Sun, 27 September 2026
This page is part of a more easily readable version of the controversial Draft Animal Keeping By-law published for public comment until 29 September 2026. There are links below to the other 44 sections.
Comments and submissions should be emailed to animal.bylaw@capetown.gov.za
See next section
SECTION 1
1. Definitions
In this By-law, unless the context otherwise indicates–
“agricultural property" means land zoned for such purposes in terms of the City of Cape Town Municipal Planning By-law, 2015;
"animal" means any equine, cattle, pig, sheep, goat, camel, reptile, dog, cat, poultry, ostrich, bird, rabbit, fish or other aquatic animal, rodents kept in captivity, any other domesticated animal, indigenous animal and includes any wild animal, or exotic animal which is in captivity or under the control of any person in any way;
“animal behaviourist” means any person registered as such with the Animal Behaviour Consultants of South Africa or the South African Board for Companion Animal Professionals;
"animal drawn vehicle" means any cart or other type of vehicle which is physically attached to any animal in any manner for the purposes of moving the cart or other type of vehicle;
“animal waste” means the biological, physical and organic by-products generated by animals and may include manure, soiled organic materials used for animal comfort and housing, feed waste or silage effluent.
“animal welfare inspector” means any person from a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals authorised under the hand of the magistrate of the district in terms of Section 8 of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962;
“apiary” means a place where bees are kept, usually a site containing one or more beehives.
“authorised official” means an employee of the City responsible for carrying out any lawful duty or function or exercising any lawful power in terms of this By-law and includes an employee delegated to carry out or exercise such duties, functions or powers, which includes:
(a) A member of the Cape Town Metropolitan Police Department established in terms of section 64A of the South African Police Service Act, 1995 (Act No. 68 of 1995);
(b) A traffic officer appointed in terms of section 3A of the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996);
(c) A law enforcement officer declared to be a peace officer in terms of section 334(1)(a) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act No. 51 of 1977); and
(d) A member of the South African Police Service (SAPS);
“aviary” means an enclosure, which includes a loft, used for the keeping of birds for any reason, but does not include a portable cage, where such portable cage is being used for transportation;
“bees” means honey bees;
“beekeeping activities” means the keeping of honeybees in a managed beehive for the production and harvesting of any bee products, for queen rearing purposes or for commercial pollination services, and includes the removal, eradication or relocation of honeybee colonies;
“bird” includes any domestic bird or wild bird and dove or pigeon but does not include poultry;
“captivity” in relation to any animal means the keeping within an enclosure by means of any fence, wall or obstruction of any kind whatsoever in such a way that such an animal is unable to escape;
"carcass" means the remains of any animal or poultry that died;
"cattery" means premises in or upon which boarding facilities for cats are provided or where cats are bred for commercial purposes;
“City” means the City of Cape Town, a municipality established by the City of Cape Town Establishment Notice No. 479 of 2000 issued in terms of section 12 the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1988 (Act 117 of 1998), or any structure or employee of the City acting in terms of delegated authority;
“contracted entity” means any animal welfare organisation registered as a Non-Profit Organisation and contracted by the City to render services pertaining to animal keeping and to perform inspection, permitting and administrative functions in terms of this By-law.
"council" means the Council of the City of Cape Town;
“dangerous animal” means any animal which poses a reasonable or potential threat to the safety of any person, animal or property or which has attacked any person or animal with or without provocation or which has damaged property;
"dwelling house" means a building containing only one dwelling unit, together with such outbuildings as are ordinarily used with a dwelling house, including domestic staff quarters;
"dwelling unit" means a self-contained, inter-leading group of rooms, with not more than one kitchen, used for the living accommodation and housing of one family or a maximum of 5 transient guests, together with such outbuildings as are ordinarily used therewith, but does not include domestic staff quarters, or tourist accommodation or accommodation used as part of a hotel;”
"exotic animal" means any live vertebrate or invertebrate animal (including the egg or spawn of any such animal) belonging to a non-domestic species and includes any such animal which is kept or has been born in captivity but is not indigenous to the Republic of South Africa;
"guide dog" means a dog which has been trained to assist blind or visually impaired persons and includes a service dog which has been trained to assist a person who is mentally or physically incapacitated;
"health nuisance" means any activity, condition, premises or thing which, on account of effluent, vapours, chemical effluvia, odours, noise, refuse, waste products, dirt, chemical or biochemical material, microbial infection, vermin, lack of proper general hygiene, ventilation, lighting, design, situation or on account of any other cause or practice whatsoever, is in the opinion of the Director: City Health or an authorised official potentially injurious or dangerous to health or which is offensive, including, without affecting the generality of the aforegoing, any facility for the storage, distribution or handling of water that is likely to be used by man for domestic purposes or consumption, including such water itself, which is contaminated or polluted;
“hive” means a container made of wood or some other material which is suitable for the keeping of bees;
“impounded animal” means any animal removed from the direct control of a person or owner or any stray animal taken into the custody of an authorised official with the intention of handing such animal into the pound or other facility designated by the City;
"kennels" means premises in or upon which –
(a) boarding facilities for dogs are provided;
(b) dogs are bred for commercial purposes;
(c) dogs are kept for the purpose of being trained or hired out with or without
(d) handlers, or
(e) dogs are kept for commercial security purposes;
“large livestock” includes any horse, pony, donkey, mule, large livestock such as cattle, antelope, ostrich or camel and any other animal of similar size or larger; "large dwelling house" means a dwelling house on an erf more than six hundred square meters;
"owner" in relation to an animal includes any person having the possession, charge, custody or control of that animal, or the person whose details are recorded on the collar of any animal;
“manure” means a mixture of animal faeces and urine that has been processed or collected specifically to be processed and used as agricultural fertilizer;
“nuisance” includes but is not limited to an act or omission which is offensive, injurious or dangerous to health, or which materially interferes with the ordinary comfort, convenience, peace or quiet of the public or which adversely affects the public at large;
"permit" means the written permission granted by the City, or contracted entity, in terms of this By-Law;
"person" includes any sphere of government, natural and juristic persons;
“pet” means a domestic animal kept primarily for companionship or pleasure and not for commercial, agricultural or working purposes.
“pet parlour” means a business, approved by the City, providing a beauty treatment service for pets by washing, drying, brushing, clipping, trimming or dyeing them or by attending to their nails, teeth and any related treatments;
“pet shop” means any premises on which the business of keeping and selling of pets is conducted;
"poultry" means any domestic fowl, including any goose, ostrich, duck, turkey, Muscovy, guinea-fowl, peacock or pea-hen, chicken or similar;
“poultry house” means any roofed-over building or structure in which poultry is kept;
"pound" means a place designated by the City in terms of any law for the impounding, sale, rehoming or destruction of animals;
"pound master" means a person who has been appointed by the City to be in charge of a pound;
"premises"
(a) means any building, tent or any other structure, together with the land on which it is situated;
(b) means any land without buildings or tents; and
(c) includes any vehicle, conveyance, ship or boat;
“public health” means the practice of preventing disease and promoting good health and the physical well-being of people and communities in the area of jurisdiction of the City;
"public place" includes –
(a) a public road, parking area, square, park, recreation ground, sports ground, sanitary lane, open space, beach, shopping centre on municipal land, unused or vacant municipal land or cemetery which has –
(i) been provided, reserved or set apart for use by the public; or
(ii) been dedicated to the public;
(b) public transportation operated by service providers for the City, but does not include public land that has been leased by the City;
“seized” means to lawfully remove an animal or thing from the possession or control of the owner in terms of this By-law;
“small livestock” means sheep, pig, goat or any animal of similar size;
“stray animal” means
(a) any animal not under the direct control of its owner or a person appointed by the owner;
(b) any animal not prevented from roaming; or
(c) an animal that has escaped or is lost;
"structure" means any stable, shed, pigsty, kraal, aviary, paddock, covering structure, poultry house, enclosure, run, loft or building used for the keeping, housing or enclosing of animals and poultry;
“wild animal” means any live vertebrate or invertebrate animal (including the egg or spawn of any such animal) belonging to a non-domestic species and includes any such animal which is kept or has been born in captivity; and "working animal" means an animal trained, used or made available for gain, or letting, to perform tasks for human benefit.
In this By-law, unless the context otherwise indicates–
“agricultural property" means land zoned for such purposes in terms of the City of Cape Town Municipal Planning By-law, 2015;
"animal" means any equine, cattle, pig, sheep, goat, camel, reptile, dog, cat, poultry, ostrich, bird, rabbit, fish or other aquatic animal, rodents kept in captivity, any other domesticated animal, indigenous animal and includes any wild animal, or exotic animal which is in captivity or under the control of any person in any way;
“animal behaviourist” means any person registered as such with the Animal Behaviour Consultants of South Africa or the South African Board for Companion Animal Professionals;
"animal drawn vehicle" means any cart or other type of vehicle which is physically attached to any animal in any manner for the purposes of moving the cart or other type of vehicle;
“animal waste” means the biological, physical and organic by-products generated by animals and may include manure, soiled organic materials used for animal comfort and housing, feed waste or silage effluent.
“animal welfare inspector” means any person from a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals authorised under the hand of the magistrate of the district in terms of Section 8 of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962;
“apiary” means a place where bees are kept, usually a site containing one or more beehives.
“authorised official” means an employee of the City responsible for carrying out any lawful duty or function or exercising any lawful power in terms of this By-law and includes an employee delegated to carry out or exercise such duties, functions or powers, which includes:
(a) A member of the Cape Town Metropolitan Police Department established in terms of section 64A of the South African Police Service Act, 1995 (Act No. 68 of 1995);
(b) A traffic officer appointed in terms of section 3A of the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996);
(c) A law enforcement officer declared to be a peace officer in terms of section 334(1)(a) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act No. 51 of 1977); and
(d) A member of the South African Police Service (SAPS);
“aviary” means an enclosure, which includes a loft, used for the keeping of birds for any reason, but does not include a portable cage, where such portable cage is being used for transportation;
“bees” means honey bees;
“beekeeping activities” means the keeping of honeybees in a managed beehive for the production and harvesting of any bee products, for queen rearing purposes or for commercial pollination services, and includes the removal, eradication or relocation of honeybee colonies;
“bird” includes any domestic bird or wild bird and dove or pigeon but does not include poultry;
“captivity” in relation to any animal means the keeping within an enclosure by means of any fence, wall or obstruction of any kind whatsoever in such a way that such an animal is unable to escape;
"carcass" means the remains of any animal or poultry that died;
"cattery" means premises in or upon which boarding facilities for cats are provided or where cats are bred for commercial purposes;
“City” means the City of Cape Town, a municipality established by the City of Cape Town Establishment Notice No. 479 of 2000 issued in terms of section 12 the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1988 (Act 117 of 1998), or any structure or employee of the City acting in terms of delegated authority;
“contracted entity” means any animal welfare organisation registered as a Non-Profit Organisation and contracted by the City to render services pertaining to animal keeping and to perform inspection, permitting and administrative functions in terms of this By-law.
"council" means the Council of the City of Cape Town;
“dangerous animal” means any animal which poses a reasonable or potential threat to the safety of any person, animal or property or which has attacked any person or animal with or without provocation or which has damaged property;
"dwelling house" means a building containing only one dwelling unit, together with such outbuildings as are ordinarily used with a dwelling house, including domestic staff quarters;
"dwelling unit" means a self-contained, inter-leading group of rooms, with not more than one kitchen, used for the living accommodation and housing of one family or a maximum of 5 transient guests, together with such outbuildings as are ordinarily used therewith, but does not include domestic staff quarters, or tourist accommodation or accommodation used as part of a hotel;”
"exotic animal" means any live vertebrate or invertebrate animal (including the egg or spawn of any such animal) belonging to a non-domestic species and includes any such animal which is kept or has been born in captivity but is not indigenous to the Republic of South Africa;
"guide dog" means a dog which has been trained to assist blind or visually impaired persons and includes a service dog which has been trained to assist a person who is mentally or physically incapacitated;
"health nuisance" means any activity, condition, premises or thing which, on account of effluent, vapours, chemical effluvia, odours, noise, refuse, waste products, dirt, chemical or biochemical material, microbial infection, vermin, lack of proper general hygiene, ventilation, lighting, design, situation or on account of any other cause or practice whatsoever, is in the opinion of the Director: City Health or an authorised official potentially injurious or dangerous to health or which is offensive, including, without affecting the generality of the aforegoing, any facility for the storage, distribution or handling of water that is likely to be used by man for domestic purposes or consumption, including such water itself, which is contaminated or polluted;
“hive” means a container made of wood or some other material which is suitable for the keeping of bees;
“impounded animal” means any animal removed from the direct control of a person or owner or any stray animal taken into the custody of an authorised official with the intention of handing such animal into the pound or other facility designated by the City;
"kennels" means premises in or upon which –
(a) boarding facilities for dogs are provided;
(b) dogs are bred for commercial purposes;
(c) dogs are kept for the purpose of being trained or hired out with or without
(d) handlers, or
(e) dogs are kept for commercial security purposes;
“large livestock” includes any horse, pony, donkey, mule, large livestock such as cattle, antelope, ostrich or camel and any other animal of similar size or larger; "large dwelling house" means a dwelling house on an erf more than six hundred square meters;
"owner" in relation to an animal includes any person having the possession, charge, custody or control of that animal, or the person whose details are recorded on the collar of any animal;
“manure” means a mixture of animal faeces and urine that has been processed or collected specifically to be processed and used as agricultural fertilizer;
“nuisance” includes but is not limited to an act or omission which is offensive, injurious or dangerous to health, or which materially interferes with the ordinary comfort, convenience, peace or quiet of the public or which adversely affects the public at large;
"permit" means the written permission granted by the City, or contracted entity, in terms of this By-Law;
"person" includes any sphere of government, natural and juristic persons;
“pet” means a domestic animal kept primarily for companionship or pleasure and not for commercial, agricultural or working purposes.
“pet parlour” means a business, approved by the City, providing a beauty treatment service for pets by washing, drying, brushing, clipping, trimming or dyeing them or by attending to their nails, teeth and any related treatments;
“pet shop” means any premises on which the business of keeping and selling of pets is conducted;
"poultry" means any domestic fowl, including any goose, ostrich, duck, turkey, Muscovy, guinea-fowl, peacock or pea-hen, chicken or similar;
“poultry house” means any roofed-over building or structure in which poultry is kept;
"pound" means a place designated by the City in terms of any law for the impounding, sale, rehoming or destruction of animals;
"pound master" means a person who has been appointed by the City to be in charge of a pound;
"premises"
(a) means any building, tent or any other structure, together with the land on which it is situated;
(b) means any land without buildings or tents; and
(c) includes any vehicle, conveyance, ship or boat;
“public health” means the practice of preventing disease and promoting good health and the physical well-being of people and communities in the area of jurisdiction of the City;
"public place" includes –
(a) a public road, parking area, square, park, recreation ground, sports ground, sanitary lane, open space, beach, shopping centre on municipal land, unused or vacant municipal land or cemetery which has –
(i) been provided, reserved or set apart for use by the public; or
(ii) been dedicated to the public;
(b) public transportation operated by service providers for the City, but does not include public land that has been leased by the City;
“seized” means to lawfully remove an animal or thing from the possession or control of the owner in terms of this By-law;
“small livestock” means sheep, pig, goat or any animal of similar size;
“stray animal” means
(a) any animal not under the direct control of its owner or a person appointed by the owner;
(b) any animal not prevented from roaming; or
(c) an animal that has escaped or is lost;
"structure" means any stable, shed, pigsty, kraal, aviary, paddock, covering structure, poultry house, enclosure, run, loft or building used for the keeping, housing or enclosing of animals and poultry;
“wild animal” means any live vertebrate or invertebrate animal (including the egg or spawn of any such animal) belonging to a non-domestic species and includes any such animal which is kept or has been born in captivity; and "working animal" means an animal trained, used or made available for gain, or letting, to perform tasks for human benefit.
See next section
Comments and submissions should be emailed to animal.bylaw@capetown.gov.za
Other sections
CHAPTER 1 – General Provisions
CHAPTER 2 – Keeping of Animals
CHAPTER 3 – Bee Keeping
CHAPTER 4 – Enforcement