Rules to Abide By When Brining Animals in Public Facilities
Municipal roles sometimes face challenges that plague its constant efforts, which in return push Muscat Municipality to inaugurate regulations for organizing the public activities in public places, or to carry out some awareness campaigns to raise the community awareness of negative phenomena. One of these negative phenomena that plague Municipalities worldwide is the failure of owners of pets to regulation when taking their pets to public areas.
Accompanying pets in public places without complying with the requirements has become an inconvenience for the visitors of these places; families, athletes or those who wish to breathe some fresh air outdoors. This happens when the pets are unrestrained and may attack visitors like children, or when they drop their waste on paths, green grass or sands, which make it difficult to remove and emits bad odours, or get polluted with pathogens. Some of the pets are unvaccinated and could carry harmful germs that transmit pathogens to children or adults when exposed to them. This is due to the failure of owners of these pets to inject them with necessary immunizations. All the mentioned above considerations were a justification for the importance of establishing controls and requirements that require an individual to adhere to when taking any of his animals to public places, as it is also the right of community members to spend good time outdoor.
In order to address this phenomenon, and in accordance with the regulations and laws followed in this regard, local order No. (1/2011) clarifies the controls needed to be met when taking animals in public places, where the provisions of this order referred to allow taking animals such as: (dogs, cats) and any other animals issued by a decision of the chairman of Muscat Municipality to public places, provided that several controls are met. The local order has also specified the public places allowed to take pets in; namely: places frequented by the public such as the roads, streets, public squares and sidewalks, public parks, beaches and the areas in building marked for shared use. In order for these animals to be taken to public places, several controls should be met, as article No. (2) of the local order makes it clear that pet owners are obliged to remove the waste caused by the animal while roaming in public places, plus taking the necessary precautions to prevent the disposal of animals from their waste in these places.
As for Article (3), it indicated that pets taken to public places must wear a collar, and must be licensed by the competent veterinary authority of the Ministry of agricultural, fisheries and water resources. The same order has also clarified that anyone who trespasses these requirements will be fined (50) Omani rials, and the municipality may appeal to the Royal Oman Police if necessary, while taking into account that the controls and investigation pertaining to this violation are carried out in accordance with the legally approved administrative and judicial procedures, provided that these procedures have the character of urgency and the judgments issued therein are covered by accelerated enforcement.
Muscat Municipality hereby affirms the continuity of its supervisory role, enforcing health regulations, and the continuity of its field inspection campaigns to monitor all activities in accordance with the requirements stipulated by law. At the same time, it calls on all citizens and residents to report any observations by calling the Muscat Call Center (1111) or through the municipality`s platforms on social media.