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
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SECTION 13
13. Control over animals
(1) A person who keeps any animal must ensure that it is kept confined to a premises or is kept under proper and effective control, including when it leaves the premises where it is kept and that it does not endanger any person, animal or property when it leaves the premises.
(2) An authorised official may impound any apparent ownerless animal, including healthy, diseased, injured, ferocious, vicious or dangerous, found to be in any public street or public place.
(3) A person who keeps an animal may not pasture or allow the animal to be pastured in or on any road reserve or any public property.
(a) An authorised official may seize or impound any such animal found in or on any road reserve or any public property, whether tended or not.
(b) A person may not, except for purposes of impounding any animal, drive or cause any animal to be driven in any public street or upon any public place within the area of jurisdiction of the City without the prior written consent of the City, which approval may be granted subject to conditions.
(4) The use of any adhesive or glue trap, board or any other adhesive trapping device or similar may not be utilised to capture or trap any animal within the City, and the sale thereof is prohibited by any company, establishment or person.
(5) No person shall leave an animal unattended in a stationary vehicle, where the conditions are harmful or potentially injurious to the animal’s health and well- being, taking into account the ventilation, duration, access to food and water, and any other factor that may be relevant to assessing the danger to such animal
(1) A person who keeps any animal must ensure that it is kept confined to a premises or is kept under proper and effective control, including when it leaves the premises where it is kept and that it does not endanger any person, animal or property when it leaves the premises.
(2) An authorised official may impound any apparent ownerless animal, including healthy, diseased, injured, ferocious, vicious or dangerous, found to be in any public street or public place.
(3) A person who keeps an animal may not pasture or allow the animal to be pastured in or on any road reserve or any public property.
(a) An authorised official may seize or impound any such animal found in or on any road reserve or any public property, whether tended or not.
(b) A person may not, except for purposes of impounding any animal, drive or cause any animal to be driven in any public street or upon any public place within the area of jurisdiction of the City without the prior written consent of the City, which approval may be granted subject to conditions.
(4) The use of any adhesive or glue trap, board or any other adhesive trapping device or similar may not be utilised to capture or trap any animal within the City, and the sale thereof is prohibited by any company, establishment or person.
(5) No person shall leave an animal unattended in a stationary vehicle, where the conditions are harmful or potentially injurious to the animal’s health and well- being, taking into account the ventilation, duration, access to food and water, and any other factor that may be relevant to assessing the danger to such animal
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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