Municipalities define their own rules regarding this topic.
A gesture of compassion that is, in many municipalities, the target of a fine (and a very heavy one). Feeding animals on the street can lead to fines as high as eight thousand euros.
There is no specific national law prohibiting the practice and providing for fines, although published in Diário da República no. 4/2019, Series II of 01/07/2019, in its article 66, no.
Each municipality sets its own rules. Several local authorities, such as Lisbon, Porto, Cascais or Sintra, already include in their urban regulations the prohibition of feeding animals on public roads.
The objective is not to punish those who like animals, but rather to prevent public health problems and preserve urban space. When food remains are left on the ground, in flower beds or next to buildings, the risks multiply: they attract rats, cockroaches and other pests, large concentrations of pigeons form and heritage is degraded, especially in historic areas, due to bird feces. Furthermore, dependence on food left to chance alters the behavior of animals and harms hygiene conditions in residential areas.
The consequences can be heavy for those who insist on feeding animals on the street outside of authorized circuits. In many municipalities, fines can reach 1500 euros, points out, but in others, the values are even more severe.
The municipality of Oeiras is one of the best-known examples: article 79 of its Urban Waste Management, Cleaning and Hygiene Service Regulations considers the spreading of food in public spaces that could attract stray animals to be an administrative offense: it provides fines between 50 and 8000 eurosdepending on severity and recurrence.
This does not mean that the only solution is to turn our backs on animals that live on the streets. Local authorities and animal protection associations advocate more structured and controlled forms of aid. One of the main recommendations is to support associations that register and monitor cat colonies, ensuring feeding at defined times and locations and, above all, sterilization programs that prevent uncontrolled population growth.
Another responsible way to intervene is to collaborate with authorized caregivers, who follow hygiene rules, maintain animal records and coordinate their action with municipal services. Citizens can also contribute, of course, with donations of money, food or materials to shelters, where food is distributed in an organized and safe way.
