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World Animal Day is marked this Saturday, a pretext to get to know the Animal intervention and rescue nucleus, created In 2016. Over the course of almost 10 years, Ira has done intense work for animal protection and welfare. Currently has three delegations, more than 60 employees and works, Since 2023, in articulation with the Civil Protection.
By day they have already received more than 60 complaints, but the lack of means does not allow them to reach everywhere. The history of wrath began almost 10 years ago. We were in 2016 when Tomás Pires was confronted with the story of Kira. In an interview with SIC Notícias, he recalls that the animal was “in some vacant facilities, improperly occupied by people who stayed over there.”
Thomas, now president of the direction of (IRA), He worked at the time on peripheral facilities. He gave feed and some money to a gentleman who lived there with two animals. One day, when on vacation, he was informed that he had arranged a third dog.
“I was not very happy because it was me who helped him with money and food for the animals and he went to a third dog. When I arrived on vacation, I moved to the facilities where you stayed overnight with these animals and checked the state of Kira,” Tomás recalls.
And for the first time he came across a reality that, until that moment, was unknown to him. “[Para mim] Anyone who had an animal was conditionedly treated it (…) and there I found a skeletal dog, chained in the middle of the urine and the stool, completely prostrate, and that moved emotionally with me. I removed the dog and called the police authorities.“
After Kira followed many more. THE core currently has more than 60 employees, including employees and volunteersand three delegations – Lisbon, Porto and Azores. They wait until the end of the year to reach the Algarve.
Ira receives dozens of complaints per day
It is in the clinic that animals receive all the necessary care until they are referred to sheltered or temporary host families. Alexandra D’Ávila, a veterinary doctor, explains to SIC News that complaints usually arrive due to situations of neglect or mistreatment
“I remember an animal that arrived very weakened. It was no longer, the owners supposedly beat him. He never completely recovered the march, but went to a temporary welcome family that treated him very well. And therefore, the last months of life were months when he had the affection and treatment he probably would not have had if he continued where he was.”
But like this story, there are many more. Thomas recalls the story of Mel, a bitch who died due to total negligence. “No He could get up to eat or to drink water. He was lying on the floor of his holder’s room that sat daily on the couch beside her to see television and the dog was hungry and headquarters in front of him “. The owner was sentenced to suspended penalty and the payment of just over a thousand euros.
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The interventions take place across the country. This year, in the fires, rescued hundreds of animals. But the actions also happen , With operations in catastrophe scenarios as happened in Valencia and earthquake in Türkiye, or in conflict zones such as Ukraine.
“I am proud to say that we went from the first Portuguese entities to reach the border zone in Ukraine. We went to collect people who were being refused transport because they wanted to bring their animals. (…) When we were aware of this situation, we immediately mobilize our means and collect these families and their animals.”
“All rescues are a challenge”
O IRA It receives, per day, dozens of complaints. Can, on the one hand, be situations that They involve rugged animals for falling, intoxication or running over. And in these cases, there is a Telephone line with Camarate firefighters where an animal help ambulance is allocated.
In situations of mistreatment, either to animals of company or livestock, the dEnunciabes are analyzed by a screening team and that takes into account some requirements such as logistics and accommodation capacity and the severity of the situation.
“Complaints that are inserted in our intervention areas, or gather the criteria, are sent to the operational department where the team heads in each region bring together the elements and the necessary means of rescue. They move to the places and, if a potential crime of animal abuse, the competent authorities are confirmed, if the criteria are not gathered, they may refer to the authorities. Municipalities, because although not a crime, it may be an offense. “
Since June 2023 that the animal intervention and rescue core collaborates with the Civil protectionthis means that, in articulation with the (Anepc), have “legitimacy” to intervene in the operations theaters.
For the wrath, all rescues “They are viewed as a challenge” requires preparation and knowledge to assess whether the situations constitute a crime taking into account the legislation in force
“Through what the legislation in force determines to be configured a crime of abuse, IRA members trigger the necessary means, await the police or municipal authorities, and for the response, sometimes necessary, from a prosecutor to remove the animals or to make warrants to enter the dwellings. Therefore, it is a challenge, no redemption is just an animal that is mistreated there and needs medical care.”
“And we, we are not simply by withdrawal, we are assistants in the proceedings (…) and we always make a point of following the entire judicial process. We are inquired as witnesses, we will make statements in court and then await the respective condemnations that, effective or unfortunately, always fall short of what should be the supposed country as it is ours”, Tomas added.
“Just wanting to adopt an animal is different from having capacity”
Who wants to adopt one of the animals rescued by the wrath has to show more than “willing”. You must prove that you have the ability to support any need that the animal has. “Families when they adopt animals have to be aware that animals are healthy until the day they need to go to a veterinarian and go to a veterinarian is not exactly a situation that is cheap, it is poorly expensive.”
“The animal may lack specific eating due to its clinical condition, its age, its type of race. Therefore, the first assessment we do is its economic situation. We do not require that they are millionaires, of course, but have a flexibility, financial comfort to arise an unexpected economic situation.”
Another of the criteria to consider is the typology of housing. “A lot of people may want to adopt a horse and say that they have a terrain, but the law provides much more than that, provides for the implementation of stables, the terrain is licensed for the collection and accommodation of these species of animals.”.
That’s why, “It is not enough to want or have the terrain, it is necessary to fulfill “with the legislation in force. “There are people who want a large dog and housing typology may not be adequate”.
And finally, the routine of people. “If it is an animal that requires a lot of physical exercise, because there are races that are more energetic or because it is a younger animal (…) and the person is 12 hours or 18 hours away from home, perhaps is not the indicated animal.”
“Many times people think that animal they have seen on our site, or on our social networks is the animal they want to adopt and we end up explaining that it is not that, but it may be another alternative of animal.”
Volunteers have to go through “almost military recruitment”
But to be volunteer, the process is also complex and time consuming. “It almost resembles a military recruitment”Compare Thomas. “Our volunteering almost resembles a military recruitment. People like to call it military or police recruitment because our physical evidence is demanding. Now the scenarios where we do interventions are also demanding. ”
The first step is to respond to annual recruitment, the physical aptitude tests are then taken to see if they have physical robustness to help the way the institution helps. After this phase, there is only “Passing on the various formations that are taught at first fire intervention teams, first aid, basic life support, forest fires, safety rules, legislation affects animal welfare.”
Once the probationary year is completed, and if they are distinguished, they are part of the IRA volunteer status. “It is not enough to want, it is not enough to like it, it is necessary to show effectively that it has the ability to perform volunteer functions in our institution“.
“On average, we have about 30 to 35 annual recruits to take evidence. Annually, at the end of recruitment, we concluded about 5 to 10 recruits. (…) If we could lower the levels of demand to have more volunteers?
Ira wants to create a political party
For feeling that there is no “a strong or visible representation at the political level that defends animals”wrath plans to advance with the creation of a political party. “It has existed, or at least we have believed it has existed, we currently do not believe that there is this representation of animal welfare.”
“Not only does our party obviously have this ambition – to represent, as we have represented, during these nine years, the defense of animal welfare, – as we will also represent the defense of people, because we have had several situations where people live in extreme poverty, they take their mouths to feed their animals or buy medication for their animals, and obviously this is intrinsic. our first mission as a future political party. “
The party already has a name, there is only enough signatures to be gathered to be evaluated by the Constitutional Court. “It’s called Protege, which is what we have done since 2016, since September 20, 2016, which is to protect animals, people and goods.”
