Dear Editor,
Finally someone at a high position has come out and said that – big surprise! – animals are not things!
Anyone who has a pet knows that animals are capable of all sorts of emotions, be it happiness, pleasure or pain and fear. So why Portuguese legislation still fails to acknowledge this is beyond me.
Though some improvements are being made, Portugal still has a long way to go in terms of animal rights.
Just look at the case of Simba: the man who killed the dog was fined €4,000 (a questionable decision to say the least) while the devastated owner also had to pay €1,500 for calling the man a “killer”.
It’s appalling that a man who not only has to mourn his dog, but also has to accept that the man who killed his pet got off with just a fine, now has to pay for a statement that anyone could easily make considering the circumstances.
For as long as the law continues to impose such light sentences on people who commit crimes against animals, little to nothing will change.
The only way I believe things will improve is through applying harsher punishments for animal abusers and through more education at schools.
Sarah Thompson, Portimão
