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 23
23. Nuisance
(1) No person may keep any animal that creates a health nuisance or a nuisance, whether the health nuisance or nuisance emanates from ―
(a) odour, sound or noise made by the animal;
(b) the animal itself;
(c) from the manner in which, or the conditions under which, the animal is kept;
(d) from the escaping or wandering of the animal, as the case may be, or
(e) from any other source relating to the animal.
(2) The City may engage in mediation, which may include consulting with the relevant street committee or neighbourhood watch of the area to resolve the matter with the owner of the animal causing the nuisance.
(3) If the City reasonably believes that an animal poses or creates a nuisance, the City may issue a compliance notice ordering the owner or person in charge of the animal to abate the nuisance within a reasonable time and may set out the measures to be taken.
(4) If an authorised official reasonably believes that any stable, enclosure or other building or structure where an animal is kept causes or is likely to cause a nuisance, be it due to its construction or state of disrepair or lack of cleanliness or for any other reason, the authorised official may issue a compliance notice ordering the owner or the person in charge of the premises upon which the stable, enclosure, building or structure concerned is situated, to execute and perform the work required to abate the nuisance, as, within a specified time, stipulated in the notice.
(5) If the nuisance has not abated after expiry of the period stipulated in the compliance notice issued to any person in terms of subsections (3) or (4), or the owner or person in charge of the premises has not executed or performed the work required in the compliance notice to the satisfaction of an authorised official, the owner or person in charge of the premises is guilty of an offence.
(1) No person may keep any animal that creates a health nuisance or a nuisance, whether the health nuisance or nuisance emanates from ―
(a) odour, sound or noise made by the animal;
(b) the animal itself;
(c) from the manner in which, or the conditions under which, the animal is kept;
(d) from the escaping or wandering of the animal, as the case may be, or
(e) from any other source relating to the animal.
(2) The City may engage in mediation, which may include consulting with the relevant street committee or neighbourhood watch of the area to resolve the matter with the owner of the animal causing the nuisance.
(3) If the City reasonably believes that an animal poses or creates a nuisance, the City may issue a compliance notice ordering the owner or person in charge of the animal to abate the nuisance within a reasonable time and may set out the measures to be taken.
(4) If an authorised official reasonably believes that any stable, enclosure or other building or structure where an animal is kept causes or is likely to cause a nuisance, be it due to its construction or state of disrepair or lack of cleanliness or for any other reason, the authorised official may issue a compliance notice ordering the owner or the person in charge of the premises upon which the stable, enclosure, building or structure concerned is situated, to execute and perform the work required to abate the nuisance, as, within a specified time, stipulated in the notice.
(5) If the nuisance has not abated after expiry of the period stipulated in the compliance notice issued to any person in terms of subsections (3) or (4), or the owner or person in charge of the premises has not executed or performed the work required in the compliance notice to the satisfaction of an authorised official, the owner or person in charge of the premises is guilty of an offence.
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