- Animal protection foundations reported that they have found adult felines and puppies | Reference photo: Víctor Salazar / @Vaskdc
Foundations in the state of Mérida reported an increase in the abandonment of cats in the center of the capital, which has generated concern among both animal protection organizations and residents of the different communities of the city.
“Every day the foundations find an animal on the street and a house that has been abandoned for many years and since mid-2023 they have left animals abandoned,” commented Marcela Castro, coordinator of Huellitas de Esperanza, in an interview with Union Radio.
He explained that from one to two cases of cat abandonment that were recorded in the city of Mérida, the figure has increased to more than 20 finds, of which 8 are large and 25 are kittens.
For her part, Oriana Gil, from the Animales sin Voz volunteer, expressed the need to educate children about the importance of responsible pet care.
“We want to go directly to the schools to offer talks, to explain to children little by little what responsible ownership of a pet is,” said Gil.
Both organizations agreed that pets help the development of social skills, such as teamwork, communication, empathy and love. They also urged citizens to avoid purchasing animals and opt for adoption.
The foundations warned about cases of poisoning and abuse of animals in Mérida, so they called on the authorities to do justice.
Cases of animal abuse in Venezuela
So far in 2024, different organizations have reported cases of poisoning and other types of animal abuse in various areas of Venezuela. On September 28, journalist Carmen Pecorelli reported on the death of several cats in the vicinity of the Free Market of Maracay, Aragua state.
According to Pecorelli, that week at least 25 dead cats had been found around the Maracay Free Market. It is unknown if the case corresponds to poisoning or if there is another reason for the death of the animals.
On September 12, animal protectionists reported the alleged poisoning of at least 15 dogs from the Warao indigenous community in Puerto Ordaz, Bolívar state.
According to local media, 11 of the affected animals died after vomiting, epileptic seizures and asphyxiation.
In February, the Public Ministry appointed Prosecutor 24 to investigate the deaths due to possible poisoning of more than 20 pets in the Carrizal municipality, Miranda state.
Councilor Giovanni Quintana indicated that the death of the pets occurred after they ate food allegedly mixed with chemicals and ground glass.
A problem that persists
Cases of animal poisoning have been reported for several years by different foundations in the country. During 2023, the media reported other events in which the lives of dogs and cats were involved.
In June 2023, a woman was denounced for the poisoning and torture of dozens of cats and dogs in the state of Nueva Esparta. According to reports in local media, the affected animals lived on the street.
Meanwhile, in February of that same year, the organization Love for Animals of Venezuela (Aplav) reported that three cats and three dogs were poisoned in the Riberas del Torbes sector, in San Cristóbal (Táchira).
At that time, Grecia Salinas, representative of Aplav, indicated that these types of events had increased in Táchira.
Types of violence against animals contemplated in the law in Venezuela
In accordance with article 66 of the Law for the Protection of Free and Captive Domestic Fauna, the following actions are defined as acts of generalized cruelty:
-Causing pain or suffering to an animal or carrying out actions that compromise its health.
-Neglect the dwelling where the animal lives and limit its mobility, hygiene and shelter conditions.
-Cause the death of the animal using a means that causes prolonged agony.
-Causing any serious mutilation that is not carried out out of necessity and under veterinary control.
In addition, articles 487 and 537 of the Venezuelan Penal Code also establish arrest sentences and fines of 100 tax units against those who have killed or caused pain to an animal.
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#reported #increase #abandonment #cats #Mérida
As a blog news writer, I’ve been following the recent reports of a surge in cat abandonment in the state of Mérida, Venezuela. The statistics are alarming: from one to two cases of cat abandonment per day to over 20 cases now, with 8 large cats and 25 kittens found. This drastic increase is causing concern among animal protection organizations and residents.
According to Marcela Castro, coordinator of Huellitas de Esperanza, the problem has been escalating since mid-2023. Oriana Gil, from the Animales sin Voz volunteer, pointed out that education is key to responsible pet ownership and proposed taking talks to schools to explain the importance of responsible pet care to children.
Animal protection foundations in Venezuela have been working to help these abandoned animals, but it’s clear that this is a systemic issue. I looked into previous reports on animal abandonment and found that the crisis in Venezuela has been affecting the nation’s pets with over 3 million cats and dogs abandoned in the country [[3]]. Many animal protection organizations have stepped in to provide shelter, including “Francis of Assisi Shelter” in the city of Coro, state of Falcon [[1]].
In addition to the economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact on animal abandonment in Venezuela. An outbreak in December 2019 led to increased reports of pet abandonment in the country [[2]].
I strongly believe that education is a critical component of addressing this issue. Spreading awareness about responsible pet ownership and the importance of caring for animals can make a significant difference. Furthermore, I encourage the authorities to take action against animal abuse cases, such as the ones reported in Maracay.
As social media continues to play a significant role in shaping our conversations around social issues, I hope that by sharing the stories of these abandoned animals and the heroes that are working to protect them, we can spark real change in Venezuela.
Sources:
[[1]]https://www.fraterinternacional.org/en/shelter-venezuela-welcomes-abandoned-animals/
[[2]]https://diarioadopta.org/en/news/abandonment-of-pets-venezuela-exacerbated/
[[3]]https://www.trtworld.com/life/venezuelans-leaving-pets-to-starve-as-economic-crisis-persists-22908