Update

GEORGE NEWS - The uncontrolled movement of horses in George has reached the point where each time an animal strays onto the N2, it is no longer a question of whether someone will be killed, but when.

After years of complaints and accidents involving horses roaming on the highway near Thembalethu and Pacaltsdorp, the George Municipality has acknowledged shortcomings in its current system and said it is preparing a new approach to tackling the problem.

This follows the latest accident on the N2, in which two horses were killed by being struck by a vehicle.

In an item on the council meeting agenda of 23 June, it was found that while the Garden Route SPCA (GRSPCA) manages the municipal pound and provides animal care services, its current agreement does not require it to impound roaming livestock. 

That responsibility rests with municipal law enforcement officers, whom the municipality says do not have the specialised equipment or expertise needed to safely capture large animals such as horses and cattle.

This has created operational challenges and resulted in injuries to officers.

To address the problem, Council has approved, in principle, a six-month extension of the GRSPCA's existing agreement while a new public tender is being prepared to appoint a specialised service provider responsible for the impoundment, care, control and, where necessary, the humane euthanasia of roaming animals. 

Plans are also under way to upgrade the municipal pound, which is on the GRSPCA premises and is managed by the organisation on behalf of the municipality, to better accommodate horses and other large livestock.

144 incidents in three years

According to the GRSPCA, over the past three years, it has responded to 144 incidents involving free-roaming livestock and motor vehicle accidents.

Since June last year alone, the SPCA inspectors have investigated 25 cruelty complaints involving horses, carried out 39 proactive inspections, dealt with 46 by-law-related cases, collected 98 horses and successfully rehomed 11.

According to the GRSPCA's area manager, Cheri Cooke, the problem is not a lack of legislation, but inconsistent enforcement and poor owner accountability. "Allowing horses or cattle to roam freely is not only irresponsible, but places both animal and human lives at serious risk. Owners have both a legal and moral responsibility to ensure their animals are properly contained," she said.

Cooke agreed that identifying the owners remains one of the biggest challenges.

The SPCA's work has also been hampered by vandalism. On several occasions, fencing at holding facilities has been cut, allowing impounded horses to escape or be stolen.

Among the SPCA's recommendations are more frequent impoundment operations, stronger by-law enforcement, improved fencing at known hotspots, prosecution of repeat offenders and community education on responsible ownership.

Without decisive, co-ordinated action, the organisation warns, free-roaming horses and cattle will continue to pose a serious threat to both public safety and animal welfare.

In previous communication, the director of community safety and mobility, Lee-Anne Meiring, said officials continue responding to reports of roaming horses, attempting to identify owners and enforce municipal by-laws where possible.

According to George's mayor, Browen Johnson, they have spent years trying to address the problem through by-laws, public participation processes, warnings and fines, partnerships with stakeholders, and by making land available for horse owners to use for grazing and management.

"Despite these efforts, the problem persists and continues to pose a risk to residents, motorists and the animals. It is clear that this is a challenge that cannot be solved by the municipality alone," he said.

A roaming horse enjoys a resident's lawn.

A horse tied up behind a dilapidated fence in Pacaltsdorp.Some horses are tied up in open fields next to the road. Sadly, many of them are not in the condition they should be. *The GRSPCA was called out to investigate the reason why this horse is in such poor condition. ‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’