"Stray" is no name for a pet

In order to abolish kill shelters, the Portuguese Government promotes the sterilization of dogs and cats until November 30 ... And after that?

The Law no. 27/2016 that abolishes kill shelters "prohibits the euthanasia of stray animals as a form of population control and favours sterilization instead." It is vital that packs of dogs and colonies of cats do not proliferate in public spaces causing public safety and health problems. As very few municipalities had the necessary conditions to carry out sterilizations, the Government issued an order on March 22, 2018 providing municipalities with a budget to promote a campaign to support the sterilization of dogs and cats, which should be used up until November 30 2018. In this very short period to set up and execute this campaign, APABA has put all its means into action to make the most of this opportunity. By the end of November we had been able to sterilize more than 90 dogs and cats from the municipal kennel of Golegã (which is managed by APABA), from our shelter, from colonies of stray cats, from people who want to sterilize their animals but do not have the financial means to do so.

We would like to take advantage of this impulse to reduce the number of puppies and kittens that come to our hands, abandoned to die or surrendered by those who cannot care for them (in one year, more than 100 puppies), but also to contribute for the change of attitude that is necessary to tackle at the root the problem of the disorderly proliferation of pets, which leads to abandonment, neglect and maltreatment, in addition to enormous pressure on the society resources. 2000€ will allow us to sterilize 45 animals in 3 months.

Of course, everything that exceeds this amount will be used in more sterilizations. We commit to show you the use of the money that you entrust to us. We hope to make a difference this way, both in the unwanted reproduction of the dogs and cats in our county and in the change of attitudes that, in the long run, will lead to the disappearance of stray animals in our country, as it is already the case in other European countries.

About the author

APABA is a legally constituted non-profit association whose main objective is to identify and collect abandoned, ill-treated and neglected animals, to recover them, to sterilize them and to promote their responsible adoption. We also promote good animal welfare practices, including sterilization as a way to prevent unwanted reproduction that results in abandonment, neglect and maltreatment.

Under a management agreement of the municipal  kennel for the past 20 years all rescued dogs receive veterinary care and are prepared to rehoming in the best conditions. Since 2000, APABA has performed, on average, more than 70 sterilizations per year. The association also provides support to people who find it difficult to care for their pets for health or economic reasons, through food aid and veterinary care. In addition, APABA also cares for about 100 cats on a TNR program.

The association is chaired by Ana Baena, has 2 employees and around 50 full members that include Ana Maia, Isabel Pereira dos Santos and Liesbeth Gritter.

Budget and due dates

The cost of sterilizations varies with the species, the sex and the weight of the animal.  Under the Government campaign we received on average around 40€ per animal. We estimate that 2000€ would allow us to sterilize 45 animals in 3 months (January, February and March). Obviously, we would be vary happy if we managed to reach this goal earlier, or if we surpass it thanks to your generosity.

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