Association insists it will not accept introduction of euthanasia as a mean of tackling stray animal populations
Portuguese animal association ‘Animais de Rua’ has voiced its outrage over the proposed 2025 State Budget, which it warns allocates no funds to animal welfare, sparking fears of a major setback in efforts to protect stray animals in Portugal.
According to the association, this decision could lead to the closure of many associations that have been shouldering responsibilities that the government has neglected over the years.
Sofia Róis, the association’s executive director and the vice-president of FEDRA (Federation of Animal Defence and Rescue), met with political party PAN (Party, Animals and Nature) last week to voice her concerns.
One of the most alarming issues singled out by Animais de Rua is the potential introduction of euthanasia as a stray animal population control measure, as seen in other countries like Turkey, the association says in a statement to the press.
“The government is condemning those who have been doing their job for them,” Róis states. “If it weren’t for NGOs and individuals stepping in, the number of stray animals would be far worse than it is today.” The association adds that it will not accept any changes to the law that ended euthanasia as a means of dealing with stray animals.
Róis also criticised the government for failing to use the €15 million earmarked for animal welfare in the 2024 budget, noting that the absence of any strategic plan not only harms animals but also has wider implications for public health, the environment, and the well-being of communities.
She also says that if the budget passes as it stands, Portugal will suffer a major setback which could threaten the livelihood of several animal associations which rely on funding from the State Budget to stay open.
“Associations, animal shelters, and sanctuaries that have invested in improvements with the help of these funds in the last three years will have no choice but to shut down,” Róia insists, adding that municipalities have carried out improvements to infrastructures using the funding which will no longer be provided. “Without support to carry out sterilisations, the population of stray animals – which in Portugal reaches nearly one million – will grow out of control.”
Animais de Rua also says it is willing to fight for what it has achieved so far to ensure that at least these achievements are not reversed. “Reversing nearly a decade of animal well-being policies by removing the funding set aside for local councils and animal charities in the budget is not acceptable; it is instead the deepening of a social problem,” the association concludes.
