In a pre-campaign action, political party; People, Animals, and Nature (PAN) visited animal welfare association, Animad today to understand the challenges and difficulties experienced by animal welfare associations.
The main difficulties are “lack of support and consequent lack of human resources to support animal welfare associations.” Therefore, stated a PAN spokesperson, there needs to be a “clear strategy regarding animal abuse and abandonment.”
In short, the party pledges to “present new proposals in support of associations and the development of strategies for animal welfare.”
Taking up the cause, ‘Somos Madeira,’ who also visited the Animad Association, today, announced that this year, 12 animal welfare associations will receive financial aid, totalling 215,000 euros confirmed Ana Sousa, adding that the Regional Government recognises the vital services that these associations bring to mistreated and abandoned animals.
She went on to state that the PSD/CDS coalition intends to “create conditions for Madeira to continue to assert itself as an animal friendly region, and therefore the “importance of partnerships with animal protection associations, allows them to continue to facilitate the prevention of abandonment, and reception and treatment of abandoned animals as well as create adoption opportunities.”
Moreover, she assured all those present that the Regional Government was seen as a “pioneer” regarding the prohibition of euthanising healthy companion animals. A priority assumed in the previous legislature and already included in the current one, with the creation of the Animal Ombudsman.”
Fine words, but the island’s animal shelters are struggling financially and are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of abandoned animals they are dealing with. My new kitten was dumped and left to die on the side of the road at four weeks old, he was dehydrated and dying from heat exhaustion.
We need a cohesive strategy that combats over and indiscriminate breeding rather than just pouring money into an ever-growing problem, thus giving companion animals a quality of life rather than a lifetime’s existence in a shelter.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
Photo: JM
