If you own a dog or cat in Cape Town, you may recently have heard talk about a “new animal by-law”. But before you panic about whether you suddenly need a permit for your Labrador, there is an important distinction to make.
At the time of writing in September 2026, Cape Town’s proposed new Animal-Keeping By-law is still a draft. The City opened it for public comment from 28 August until 29 September 2026. The existing Animal Keeping By-law of 2021 therefore remains the approved by-law while the proposed changes move through the municipal process.
So, what is actually changing – and what should pet owners know?
Why Is Cape Town Updating the Animal-Keeping By-law?
The proposed new Animal-Keeping By-law covers far more than dogs and cats. It deals with animals ranging from household pets to livestock, working animals, bees and wildlife.
For ordinary pet owners, some of the most relevant areas include stray animals, dangerous dogs, nuisance behaviour, permits, impounding and responsible animal keeping.
The City says its Animal Control Unit dealt with 9,499 calls in the previous financial year, including 4,431 stray-dog reports and 2,839 reports involving dangerous or vicious dogs.
Stray Animals and Impounding
One proposed change concerns how long animals are kept at a pound.
The draft proposes reducing the pound period for small animals from 10 days to seven days, while the period for large animals would decrease from 30 days to 21 days.
For dog and cat owners, there is an obvious practical message: identification matters.
A microchip gives a lost pet a permanent form of identification. Just as importantly, however, the contact details linked to that chip need to be current.
Dangerous Dogs and Responsible Control
The proposed by-law also aims to provide greater clarity around dangerous animals and strengthen the processes surrounding attacks on people or other animals. It also addresses stray animals on roads and animals in public open spaces.
For responsible dog owners, the everyday message remains simple: make sure your property is secure, keep your dog appropriately controlled in public and don’t allow your pet to roam.
What About Barking and Other Nuisances?
The draft also aims to clarify the rules around nuisance animals and introduces a mediation mechanism to help resolve disputes.
Persistent barking, roaming and animals causing repeated disturbances can quickly turn into neighbourhood disputes. Addressing the cause early – including anxiety, boredom, inadequate exercise or behavioural problems – is generally much better for the animal and the humans involved.
Welfare Gets More Attention
A welcome theme running through the proposed Animal-Keeping By-law is animal welfare.
The amendments include stronger rules around working animals such as security dogs and cart horses. Proposed provisions include restrictions on working in temperatures above 30°C and requirements for regular rest and access to drinking water. The draft also proposes banning wild and exotic animals in circuses and banning adhesive or glue traps.
What Should Cape Town Pet Owners Do Now?
For most responsible dog and cat owners, there is no reason to panic.
Good animal ownership already covers much of the practical ground: provide appropriate food, water, shelter and veterinary care; vaccinate your pets; prevent uncontrolled breeding; identify them properly; keep them safely contained; and make sure they don’t pose a danger or unreasonable nuisance to other people or animals.
Most importantly, remember that the proposed new Animal-Keeping By-law is not yet the final new law. The wording may change following the public-participation and approval process.
At Cottage Vet Clinic, we will continue helping our clients understand any changes that affect the health and welfare of their pets as the process develops.
