WHEREAS there seems to be an increase with respect to the number of stray animals such as horses found at large within a municipality with nobody to claim and accept responsibility for them;

WHEREAS stray animals, such as horses, have quite often caused property damage to individuals’ private property;

WHEREAS when the municipality adheres to The Stray Animals Act in terms of following proper procedures, arranging for them to be corralled and delivered to a designated impound as well as proper advertising and notification, the municipality incurs costs it must cover;

WHEREAS this generally results in a financial loss for the rural municipality with respect to all costs that have been incurred versus the amount that they obtain from the proper sale in a stock yard due to the amount of time prescribed in the Act required for impoundment and consequent fees incurred;

WHEREAS most municipalities have their own website which can be used for providing notification as well as social media resources that are available;

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the provincial government to amend The Stray Animals Act so that the sale of stray by auction can occur seven days after impoundment where the owner of the stray is known and three days after impoundment where the owner remains unknown after reasonable inquiry by the municipality.