The proposal, which was first tabled last year, was eventually presented for discussion late last week and welcomed by all MPs, with André Silva of People, Animals and Nature joining the public galleries to give the new law a standing ovation.
News of the proposal being tabled for discussion (see The Portugal News 4 June edition) came after it emerged that an estimated 100,000 cats and dogs are culled each year in Portugal.
But with the new law, kennels and catteries will now first be tasked with sterilising animals followed by putting them up for adoption. Actual culling of street animals will only be considered when the animal is found to be ill, in pain or have serious behavioural issues.
According to the legislation, municipal kennels will be known as Official Animal Collection Centres.
Abandoned animals who are placed in these centres, but who are not collected within 15 days, will automatically be sterilised and put up for adoption.
The animals can then be handed over to “new owners at no charge.”
A new feature of the legislation is that it is also prohibited “to cull animals due to over-population, financial incapacity or any other reason which impedes the normal housing of an animal”.
Cats, once sterilised, will also be placed back on the streets in the event of population control issues at catteries, with MPs arguing the primary concern is now the well-being of the animal.
In the event of the putting down of an animal being justified, the law states that it should be done “using methods which ensure the absence of pain and suffering and death should be immediate while respecting the dignity of the animal.”
Collection Centres will further have to provide annual reports with statistics as to how many animals were taken in, put down, vaccinated and sterilised.
The new law allows local councils up to two years to function in complete accordance with the new legislation, but only one year to introduce effective sterilisation programmes.
Parliament approves ban on stray animal extermination
in News · 16 Jun 2016, 13:32 · 0 Comments