The City of Gweru suspended its decision to shoot all stray dogs and donkeys after the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) dragged it to court over the proposed move.
This was revealed by Gweru City Council (GCC) housing and community services director Shingirayi Tigere while responding to queries from residents in Mkoba on why the municipality was not shooting stray animals. Said Tigere:
I have heard the concerns of residents on what the council is doing in dealing with stray dogs and donkeys.
But, unfortunately, we had to stop the shoot-to-kill policy after the SPCA took us to court over the matter. The issue is still in court, hence we cannot proceed with the decision.
In June, GCC resolved to kill stray dogs following an upsurge in cases of humans being bitten by rabid dogs and donkeys which were becoming a nuisance.
The move was however blocked by the SPCA which felt that the council was violating animal rights.