The vice-president of the Municipality of Funchal, Idalina Perestrelo, was present today at the Parish Council of São Gonçalo, to mark the 6th municipal campaign for the provision of free rabies vaccination for animals over three months old, which this year also includes cats. The campaign started last Saturday, in the parishes of São Pedro and Imaculado Coração de Maria.
Idalina Perestrelo explained that “due to the ongoing health crisis, the campaign is being carried out with all due safety measures, but the Municipality was determined to continue their proposed vaccination initiative which has been an ongoing success since 2017.
The first five campaigns (there are 2 per year), which in addition to vaccination include microchipping, registration with SIAC (Pet Information System), deworming (against worms and tapeworms) and licensing in the parish council (where applicable), covered all the parishes within the municipality and do date a total of 2699 domestic animals have been vaccinated at no cost to their owners.
She went on to say that “the Municipality remains committed to creating conditions so that all residents can have their pets vaccinated and microchipped free of charge, with the objective of ensuring that as many animals, which now includes cats, are inoculated against rabies. A move that has been welcomed by cat owners.
Idalina Perestrelo, who has been responsible for Causa Animal in the municipality since 2013, also reiterated that “until we started this work in 2017 with the collaboration of the parish councils of the municipality, nothing like this had ever been done in Funchal. Over the past three years, people’s receptivity and constant attendance has been remarkable, and it is not by chance that we are already on our way to vaccinating some 3,000 animals.”
“This programme has reached many dog owners who, for the first time, were made aware of the need to have their animals vaccinated, and we have actively promoted the need for animals to be chipped and registered which has become mandatory by law. This programme will now include cats and enhance the Municipality’s role in the field of Animal Cause, even in a year such as we are currently experiencing.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
