World Day Against the Abandonment of Pets

World Day Against the Abandonment of Pets takes place every year on the last Saturday in June. In 2020, it fell on June 27.

In order to educate the owners, this initiative falls at the time of going on vacation, a cruel period when many owners abandon their animals, thus overwhelming the shelters of animal protection associations including the SPA.

Initiated by Animal Solidarity and supported by numerous associations, this day aims to denounce and alert the public authorities to the abusive abandonment of our 4-legged companions who do not deserve this sad fate.

Since 1976, the abandonment of domestic animals has been a crime and is considered an act of cruelty, just like animal mistreatment. In France alone, there are more than 100,000 abandoned animals.

Following the global pandemic that has struck us, the closure of shelters imposed on the public by confinement has led to saturation, the number of abandonments increasing, the structures being too small to accommodate new residents from the shelters.

Faced with this dramatic situation, the associations decided to step up to the plate by launching petitions to demand from the government the resumption of adoptions and aid for the foster families according to a health protocol. After the positive response, a device was implemented on April 16 to save many animals from euthanasia and also relieve shelter staff. The pet is a comforting presence to break the loneliness in time of confinement, as much for children, the single or elderly, we should not take adoption lightly because it is not only taking it out for spend a few moments outside to get some fresh air.

Anyone wishing to adopt an animal had to provide themselves with an exemption from confinement and go alone to the refuge for a time-stamped appointment to recover their 4-legged friend by having previously chosen it on the internet from several candidates proposed. To avoid any risk of contamination, animal protection associations had announced the implementation of a simplified adoption procedure preceded by a precise questionnaire to find out the life criteria of the new adopter. The latter had to be alone at the entrance of the refuge and had no contact with employees and volunteers, the only contact taking place between the animal and its new owner before returning home. Each adopter must therefore be sure of himself and of his choice so as not to back off after the deconfinement and in case of suspicion, the animal protection associations reserve the right to reverse. In conclusion, do not give hope to a 4-legged friend unnecessarily and only out of selfishness, animals also have hearts and feelings.

However, other animals such as equines, goats, pigs and sheep suffered from confinement, as shelters struggled to feed them due to a lack of hay and pellets.

Since May 11, the date of deconfinement, the number of animals abandoned by their owners has increased further, but at the same time financial and material donations have resumed to face the post-covid-19 period. In addition, spring brought births to residents that veterinarians had decided not to sterilize during confinement

Many homeless people have pets even if they do not have a roof over their head, they can however contact associations for veterinary care, vaccines … Some of them are give food by collecting kibbles and boxes during food collections in supermarkets.

World Day Against the Abandonment of Pets is used to identify the causes that push masters to separate from their companion and go back to the sources of the scourge. This year, for the second edition, the associations Solidarité animal and Agir pour la vie animal have joined forces for a joint event, a web conference on prevention against so-called « annoying » behaviors. It was also the occasion to publish a charter of the « responsible master » which brings together 15 commitments that each candidate for adoption or owner of an animal must make towards the animal that he brings back to his family, as many wishes of ‘union to pronounce or renew.

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VERONIQUE YANG

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