The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department said the kinds of animals covered by the Road Traffic (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 include cats and dogs whether stray or owned.

The statement was made today in response to media reports concerning the ordinance.

The department explained that the ordinance was amended last year on November 7 with cats and dogs whether stray or owned included into the definition of “animal” into the original one covering any horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig or goat.

The amendment does not cover only owned cats and dogs as reported in some media stories, the department added.

The ordinance states that the driver of a vehicle shall stop if an accident involving that vehicle occurs whereby damage is caused to animals not in the vehicle.

Drivers must also provide their particulars, including name and address, to police officers or any person having reasonable grounds for requiring the information. Otherwise, the driver must report the accident to Police as soon as possible or no later than 24 hours after the accident.