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The manager of the kennel that has been found operating illegally in Canedo, Santa Maria da Feira, acknowledges that it does not have the ideal conditions to accommodate 140 animals, but blames the State for the absence of legislation that avoids the problem.
Speaking to Lusa, after the news that the Dutch non-governmental organisation Dierenhulp Zonder Grenzen (DZG) is facing a criminal process for mistreatment of animals has been released, activist Berta Brazão, linked to this structure, assumes that the shelter is illegal and that “sometimes some animals attack each other, as in any shelter”, but says that the government has not made it easier for them to protect stray animals.
"If conditions are bad, they are bad for everyone - for animals, for me and for Dick [Leegwater]," she says, alluding to the Dutch citizen founder of DZG.
As examples of these difficulties, Berta Brazão highlights two: the request for the installation of a biological fossa in the shelter has already been presented to the câmera and "it has barred everything"; donations from the Netherlands made it possible to acquire a deposit for 5,000 liters of drinking water, but "still can not be connected" because of lack of financial resources.
The activist argues that for situations like this "the Government and the PAN party is to blame. They were very concerned to approve that ridiculous law that authorises the presence of animals in restaurants, but forgot that this is of no use unless beginning with the principle, which is to force everyone to sterilise their companion animals, to ensure control of the population of dogs and cats and to stop abandoning them. "
In this context, Berta Brazão concedes that "city councils can’t work miracles", but only foresees "even greater problems in the future, because the kennels are overcrowded and the Government has banned the slaughter of animals before having the courage to impose the obligatory castration and sterilization, and vaccination at least against rabies ".
Contacted by Lusa, the Municipality of Santa Maria da Feira had informed that "it has been monitoring the situation very closely" and added that it is looking for solutions "in articulation with other competent entities and associations in the area of ??well- being.”
The captain of the GNR Aveiro District Command, Luís Caetano, confirmed to Lusa: "A criminal proceeding is being initiated by the GNR Environmental Protection Center because the kennel is illegal and there has been record of animal abuse."
The official admits, however, that the court procedure may not be the solution to the case "as it will raise another problem - the removal of animals from the enclosure, because it is not known where to put them and the kennels are over crowded."
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The owner of this illegal shelter may well have broken the animal welfare laws, but he should be helped & advised rather than taken to court. As you state in the article there is no where for the dogs to go as everywhere is over full. The municipal canil is as much to blame as they have not provided sufficient space for all the abandoned animals in their district.
This man had the best intentions but took on too much. If SEPNA visited the Canils across Portugal they will find some that are in breach of the welfare laws. Some are hell holes with much the same problems as the shelter in question. Overcrowding causing fights, less dominant dogs not getting enough food, too many dogs in small kennels so the excrement is everywhere as cleaning once a day is not enough. The smell is overpowering. Some Camaras only provide food and rely on the association affiliated to the canil to raise funds for the preventative treatments against fleas etc and where veterinary treatment is needed for sick & injured dogs. If there is no association then the dogs suffer. They also promote the dogs for adoption and arrange fosters for the puppies as the Camaras do none of this. They also arrange for volunteers to walk the dogs on a weekly basis, some more often. Not all camaras will accept help from volunteers, probably as they do not want the public to see what it's like behind closed doors, so the dogs in these suffer a life sentence in these hell holes. I call them the forgotten dogs as no one knows what dogs are there as the camara does not have photos and details that you can view online like the shelters have & the associations.
As I suggested in my comments on a previous article about a shelter in the Algarve, your reporter needs to visit some of the Canils & private shelters to show the public what they are up against due to the huge problem of abandonment & cruelty.
SEPNA would do better to respond to the calls from the public about neglect & abuse. So many reports on Facebook that they never turn up to the location and so most people don't bother now.
They don't even act when a vet reports on numerous occasions about a particular gypsy camp, and so she gave up in the end.
She told me that they will not go into camps because they are scared which is ridiculous because I know of people who have rescued dogs from these camps by persuading them to allow them to take. When the dogs are sick from diseases they do not usually want any more. The problem is that it does not stop them from continuing to have too many dogs that they cannot afford to feed, let alone any veterinary treatment. The dogs keep breeding with each other & the other abandoned dogs in the area. Many of the abandoned sick dogs on the streets come from the camps because they leave in search for food. The Camaras could stop this by insisting all their dogs must be sterilised (paid for by the Camara) or otherwise they will not be given a licence to camp on municipal land.
Please do not print my comments in your printed newspaper, which you did in this weeks edition without my permission.
It was in the letters page to the editor. I did not write a letter to the editor but I made on line comments to the writer of the article as I felt it was biased and made out the other shelters were doing it wrong & it upset the hard working volunteers from the other shelters who read it. I therefore suggested that he visited some of the shelters and Canils & do an article on them & I gave details so that he could find easily on facebook and contact them to arrange.
Had I known you were going to print my comments I would not have used people's names without permission.
I can give you details of Canils to visit the good and the bad, & the private shelters, but you will need to contact me via my email address.
Regards,
Nuala Harris
By Nuala from Algarve on 18 Aug 2019, 01:33
Sorry do not agree. Animal welfare should be first always and if they have no money they shouldn’t raise an illegal dog shelter because don't have the minimum of conditions. We don't need to be rich to treat with respect to our dogs. You should visit a Portuguese shelter in Portugal ???????? called #cantinhodamilu with 750 dogs all well cared and free. Do you know #DZGnl or #DZGcanedo?
By Ana Pereira from Other on 20 Aug 2020, 15:08