Fortaleza councilors approved on Wednesday (8) the restructuring of the organizational structure of the city hall, which directly affects the state policy aimed at animals in the capital. V Coordination for the protection and welfare of municipal animals now it has secretariat status and is associated with the mayor’s office. Mayor’s Campaign Promise Jose Sarto (PDT), in practice, the change should give the agency more autonomy.

However, after almost a year of management, the measures associated with this banner are still little implemented in Fortaleza. The folder forecast is such that actions – such as Protective bag it State Veterinary Hospital – will begin to appear on paper in the coming months. Even with the expectation of attracting additional resources for coordination.

“We will have budgetary autonomy, like an animal welfare agency, to be able to compete for additional resources, be it institutional or parliamentary amendments.”

Marcel Giraud

Head of Animal Welfare and Protection Department

Steps in progress

The State Veterinary Hospital is also a campaign commitment of the current mayor of Fortaleza, elected in 2020. The aim is to expand the Fortaleza-Jaco Veterinary Clinic.

“The resource is guaranteed, now we are at the stage of project development. The tender should open at the beginning of the year, ”says Giraud. “With the expansion of the clinic, we want to serve all areas, both nongovernmental organizations and animal educators and protectors,” he concludes.

The expansion is expected to be completed in 2022, but Marcel Giraud admits the timeline is still subject to change. Resources for converting a clinic to a hospital should come from both the municipal treasury and parliamentary amendments appointed by Federal MP Celio Studart (PV).

“The Mayor has set this year as the deadline for the start of the expansion work, because it will be in the same location as Clínica Jaco. It will be transformed into a hospital, and, in turn, we are looking for federal funds that have already been paid, ”says the congressman. According to him, 1.5 million reais were allocated for the work in the amendments.

The pets agenda as a political flag

The candidate for mayor of Fortaleza, Celio Studarte has decided to support Jose Sarto in the second round of the 2020 elections. A big supporter of the darlings program, Studart signed a pledge on the matter with the current mayor of Fortaleza, joining the alliance candidate in the last election.

The animal welfare banner is attracting more and more political capital for both the legislature and the executive. Sarto himself appeared more than once during the election campaign, as well as after the election with the dog Marrion. After joining the mayor’s office, Sarto also announced a “new family member”, the dog Caramelo.

Lawyer and animal advocate, former advisor Toinja Rocha notes that even with the rise of this flag, “political will” is needed in institutional spaces. “If you do not have the political will to solve this problem, this will not happen. I see that nothing or almost nothing has been done, ”he criticizes.

Animal Protection and Welfare Coordination Manager during Mayor Roberto Claudio’s second term, she notes that the Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for NGOs, shelters and advocates to rescue and care for animals.

“What I see today are animals in great need of compassion, in need of political will from the government. (…) The animals are starving, the defenders are sick, ”she quotes. “There are problems that need to be addressed in the medium, short and long term,” he adds.

Support for shelters and defenders

One initiative in this regard was approved in October by the Fortaleza City Council. The text sent by the mayor’s office authorizes the transfer of R $ 300,000 annually to the San Lazaro shelter in Fortaleza, one of the largest rescue and animal care facilities in the capital.

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For Toinha, however, it is necessary to extend this support not only to San Lazaro, but also to other hideouts in Fortaleza. “The solution for the San Lazaro shelter is to provide 300,000 people? This is not true. It helps a lot, but it is not enough. It’s not just about providing money, there should be a parallel state policy, ”he says.

Marcel Girand explains that the Coordination is working to implement other government policies to support both places where animals are cared for and people who are dedicated to saving and protecting them.

Among the initiatives – Protective bag. The proposal is in preparation and must be sent to the city council for approval. According to Giraud, 450 thousand reais will be allocated to support the defenders. “We are defining public notice. The value (of the stock exchange) will depend on the number of animals each has, ”he explains.

In addition, Giraud continues, the auction is in the final stages of purchasing 12 tons of feed, which will be distributed to NGOs and shelters in the capital. Two initiatives are planned for early 2022.

On the other hand, the third Mobile Vet division should be opened in the capital back in 2021. “Today we have a mobile veterinary service, the priority of which is defenders, while the other is nomadic. Every year we can always provide better services, ”he emphasizes.

In addition to the pets agenda

Marcel Giraud stresses that as this is a municipal agency, most of the coordination requirements are related to the care of pets and domestic animals. However, there is also research on “the possibility of treating large animals” such as horses.

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“The companies that run the mobile veterinary unit and veterinary clinic specialize in caring for pets,” explains Celio Studart. He stresses that Ceara State University Hospital takes care of large animals. “But it would be nice if Clínica Jaco turned into a hospital, we could have specialized veterinarians,” he notes.

According to Marcel Giraud, the new coordination status should help to achieve this goal. “With autonomy, the coordinator can seek resources and seek that desire to work with large animals,” he projects. In addition, it is a partnership with the State Government’s Animal Welfare Coordination (Coani), which is more concerned with government policy towards wildlife.

“The new coordination status gives us more support so that the population knows where the animals are taken care of, both legally and institutionally,” he concludes.

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