A six-month jail term is currently awaiting any dog owner in Oyo State who fails to keep his dogs vaccinated to prevent communicable diseases, under control and also settle the medical bill of victims of his dog’s attack.

The disclosure was made on Tuesday when the leadership of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria visited Oyo State House of Assembly in Ibadan, where they were received by the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, and some other lawmakers.

The Dogs Amendment Bill, 2019 was one of the bills passed by the Ninth Assembly in 2020, and it was signed into law by Governor Seyi Makinde on September 22, 2020.

The sponsor of the bill, Olawumi Oladeji, representing Ogbomoso North, explained: “Some of the provisions of the law include a fine of N100,000 or six months imprisonment or both for dog owner, who fails to keep their dogs under control, a fine of N250,000 or imprisonment for six months or both for dog owners who fail to bear the total cost of medical expenses incurred by the victim of the attack.

“A fine of N200,000 or six months imprisonment or both for any dog owner who fails to vaccinate his/her dogs against communicable diseases hence we call on all the Stakeholders to sensitize members of the public on the provisions of the amendment.”

The Speaker, Ogundoyin, said the Dogs Amendment Bill, 2019 was among the 73 bills already passed by the Ninth Oyo Assembly and assented to by Governor Makinde.

His words: “We have set good record and we’ll still set more records in the 9th Oyo State House of Assembly. Dogs Amendment Bill is one the Bills passed by us in two years and this has made us to surpass the records of the last Oyo Assembly.”

Ogundoyin was optimistic that the law would have positive impact on the lives of residents of the state, adding that the law would protect residents of the state from dog attacks, and also give adequate treatment and compensation to anyone bitten by dogs.

In her comment, President, Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Aishatu Abubakar, commended the Ninth Oyo State House of Assembly for its consideration and passage of Dogs (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

She also said the law would help in controlling and reducing the transmission of communicable diseases like parvovirus, hepatitis, leptoftirosis and rabies, usually contracted by people from dogs that have not been vaccinated.

“We cannot thank the Oyo State House of Assembly enough because the law will make all dog owners responsible for keeping their animals and preventing them from straying and attacking people,” she said.

The Oyo State chapter of the association, however, presented awards of excellence to the Speaker, Ogundoyin for his outstanding performance and to the sponsor of the bill, Olawumi Oladeji.

(Daily Sun)

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