Like every year, the last Saturday of June is marked by World Day Against Pet Abandonment. This Saturday June 29, 2024 is also the date which precedes departures for the summer holidays. In France as in Reunion, peaks in animal abandonments have been recorded. Awareness campaigns are being carried out across the four corners of the island.
Published on June 29, 2024 at 11:36 a.m.,
updated June 29, 2024 at 12:15 p.m.
On the occasion of the World Day against the Abandonment of Pets, this Saturday, June 29, 2024, awareness and sterilization campaigns are being carried out by inter-municipal authorities across the island.
According to the latest figures from the prefecture, pMore than 73,000 stray or wandering animals have been recorded on public roads.
In Reunion, animal abuse is a scourge. For several years now, many associations have stepped up to defend animal rights. Facebook pages are dedicated to animal protection.
The associations are also in debt to the tune of 40,000 euros with veterinary clinics. As part of the recovery plan to promote sterilization, the identification of dogs and cats and raising awareness among young people, they are waiting to receive state subsidies.
Every day, pets are abandoned. Associations are often overwhelmed. They call for civic-mindedness. On our island, every year, 7,000 to 8,000 animals die on the roads.
In Reunion, the actions of associations make it possible to save between 8,000 and 10,000 animals per year without subsidies, while the pounds euthanize more than 10,000 animals each year at an estimated cost of 5 million euros, paid by taxpayers. .
This Saturday, the Association for Education in Animal Welfare (APEBA) is organizing a collection of donations at the Monde des Animaux, in Sainte-Marie.
Throughout the day, the TCO informs the public in the municipalities of Trois-Bassins, Saint-Paul, Saint-Leu, La Possession and the Port about the dangers of abandonment.
Meetings of the day:
- St.Paul : Bus station from 8am
- The Port : Cap Sacré-Cœur shopping center from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- La Possession : E. Leclerc from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Saint-Leu : Fairground market + city center from 7 a.m.
- Three-Basins : Super U + city center from 9:30 a.m.
In the East, Cirest reiterates its sterilization campaign aimed at non-taxable taxpayers. 100% free care which allows pets to be identified and sterilized, particularly dogs and cats, whether male or female.
In a veterinary practice in Saint-André, three to four animals are sterilized every day thanks to the support of Cirest, or around a hundred since the beginning of June.
“The owners had been waiting for several weeks, so it started again a bit strongly”says Nicolas Lefèvre, veterinarian in Saint-André.
1,000 requests are pending for this new sterilization campaign. Mickaël Boyer, director of public service control and peace and quiet at Cirest, welcomes this enthusiasm. “The goal is to sterilize en masse to avoid any uncontrolled proliferationhe said. Today, we find ourselves with 73,000 stray dogs on the territory, that’s a lot”.
This operation is carried out thanks to the collaboration of Eastern veterinarians.
It is truly a joint effort between Cirest and veterinarians who agree to work at almost cost for a noble cause. And of course, we make our contribution in this way.
Nicolas Lefèvre, veterinarian
Mickaël Boyer explains the procedure to follow to benefit from the free sterilization campaign: “For an individual, it’s very simple. All you have to do is send the documents requested on the Cirest website. We check the supporting documents and the individual receives a voucher by post. Then all you have to do is make an appointment with the veterinarian.”.
Sterilization also brings benefits to animals. “This prevents heat phenomena where the dogs tend to run away, with the risk of being crushed”underlines Nicolas Lefèvre.
It also avoids fights. We also avoid pathologies, since a sterilized dog will have less risk of having a mammary or ovarian tumor.
Nicolas Lefèvre, veterinarian
With a budget of 180,000 euros for the year, Cirest hopes to double the number of animals sterilized for this new campaign.
Animal abandonment or abuse can be reported by calling 3677. This is a new national number set up at the beginning of the week. The service is available 7 days a week.
