Basseterre, St. Kitts (December 14, 2005): With the completion of amendments to the schedule of fees, three animal pounds will be reactivated at three strategic locations around St. Kitts.
Director of Agriculture Dr. Jerome Thomas explained the Public Pound Amendment Act # 11 of 1998. He said the act introduced the term "the minister," and "statutory order" which gives the agriculture minister the authority to amend certain fee schedules through a statutory order.
Dr. Thomas further informed that the fees are of particular importance once the animal pounds are reactivated. He went on to list the respective amounts. Owners of horses, cattle, donkeys or mules would have to pay a $45 seizure fee, a pound fee of $45, a rate of haulage fee of $10, a daily upkeep fee of $15 resulting in a total minimum recovery fee of $115.
Owners of livestock such as sheep, pigs and goats would have to pay a seizure fee of $10, a pounds fee of $10, a haulage fee of $5 and a daily upkeep fee of $10 for a total minimum recovery fee of $35.
The Director of Agriculture said that according to procedure - once the animal is impounded, within the first 24 hours the pound-keeper will either notify the animal owner or make the information public that the animal has been impounded. If within six days no claim has been made for the animal it will be put up for auction. He noted that in the past, when impounded animals were auctioned the bidding would begin at a figure lower than the animals" recovery fee. However, with the new procedure the bidding will begin at the total pound cost of that particular animal.
The animal pounds will be located at Buckleys, Mansion and Lamberts and are scheduled to be activated in the very near future.
