IT is evident that the stray animal issue has been addressed and paid attention to by solving a tremendous problem that has been ongoing for years now. The Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, has taken drastic action on implementing the Pounds Amendment Bill for people or stray catchers having the right to impound stray animals that have been roaming the roadside and causing accidents, according to the April 24, 2010 edition of the Guyana Chronicle The Pounds Amendment bill encourages employment around areas that are being intruded by cattle and other farm animals by raising the impoundment fee from $1,000 to $5,000. The smaller amount of animals on the road will reduce the risk of road accidents and deaths that occur yearly, but this is not enough.
If unemployed persons who roam the streets just like farm animals start impounding the cattle that roam 63 beach and destroy the sea defence that hardly exists anymore since the cows trampled the sand banks and they eat away the shrubs and vines that withhold the sand from eroding, these persons can save the country from future flooding and preserve our beautiful international tourist beach. Come on locals! Cows are not supposed to be roaming the attractive beach while tourists are trying to enjoy themselves. Do you want tourists to go back to North America and tell others they came to this unsanitary place with cattle disturbing them and cow manure polluting the air?
Get involved today. Start impounding the stray animals because it is beneficial towards the country and also yourself gaining a $5,000 in your wallet. The pound fee has been raised in order to encourage people or stray catchers to impound animals allowing them an increase in fee collection which would be beneficial on the individual taking the animal to the pound. First of all we are living in a developing country and in order to make our country welcoming and attractive to local citizens and foreigners we would have to get rid of animals on the road and public places. Cattle destroy rice farmers’ crops, citizens’ vegetable gardens, plants, cause road accidents and deaths, and are a nuisance when roaming around places in society. In order for all of us to live a hazardous free life without cattle being a stubborn issue to deal with our country could be operating like the advance developed countries overseas.
We need to tackle small issues and try not to make them become larger ones. We need cooperation and connectivity within our communities to work together in helping our country progress and make it an ideal place to live and dwell in by getting rid of stray animals on the road.
Quite a few persons complained to me about goats eating their beautiful abundance of flower plants that took them a while to grow and tender with care. I was travelling home one night from university when I witnessed something gruesome. A horse got hit by a bus and one of its hooves was bleeding and it could hardly balance itself. I heard people in the crowd mumbling they have to shoot the horse. We should not just think of ourselves getting hurt but the animal itself. According to Animal rights, what happened to that horse that night would be considered an unlawful and harmful act committed. If we as a collaborative public can end this misery of stray animals constantly bothering us, damaging our yards and public places and being a nuisance towards the human eye, we can live a better life in our developing country, Guyana. Making change is good and developing ourselves and the surroundings all the time. We have to make way and look forward towards a better future by abiding by the laws of Guyana, listening to others and the issue they have with your farm animals and most of all try to make a good change in everyone’s life. We are living in a modern era, which we are currently in the 21st century and not the 14th century. We must move forward in life and not backward in order to live under good living conditions. I will be waiting for the day when our country can be proud of its improvement that will be made by concerned citizens of Guyana and that will truly be a wonderful day.
Take advice: be careful the next time when you get into an argument with a woman about your cows eating her vegetables and breaking her fence because you and your animal are the culprits here and not the lady nor anybody else.
So next time do not blame the government about not solving the issue of animals on the roads or public places because it took action and is now awaiting on you to be a responsible citizen to take care of your farm animals or to become the next future stray catcher to take care of any strays you see around cause you know if you do not take care of it now, there will be some kind of bad news tomorrow. If this Pound Amendment Bill still does not work with locals in the country, I would advise the government and Home Affairs Minister to take further action with this stray animal issue, taking serious precautions in mind before taking any action.