The Osun State police command in Osogbo issued a stern warning to dog owners, urging them to secure their pets in cages or face potential arrest.
SP Yemisi Opalola, the command’s spokesperson, emphasized the necessity of this warning due to the escalating incidents of dog attacks on individuals within the state.
Citing the Dog Act Cap 35 Law of the Federation of Nigeria, Opalola clarified that allowing dogs to roam freely constitutes a violation of the law.
She highlighted that any instance of a dog escaping and subsequently biting someone outside its owner’s premises is considered an offense.
According to the law, dogs must be properly vaccinated, kept under control, and not allowed to roam freely and endanger passersby.
“The command is using this medium to draw the attention of members of the public, especially those rearing or breeding dogs, especially exotic ones for guard/security purposes or otherwise to the increasingly recent attacks on people by dogs.
“To this end, the police command enjoins members of the public to restrain their dogs in their houses in cages/leashes with a view to reducing attacks on people. They should further vaccinate these dogs in order to reduce the risk of contracting rabies which can be deadly if these dogs happen to bite individuals,” Mr Opalola added.
She said that the Commissioner of Police in Osun, Mohammed Abba, also advised members of the public to be abreast of the Dog Act to avoid contravention of the law.
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