Associação Animal advises anyone who witnesses animal distress or cruelty in circuses to inform the authorities as quickly as possible. “People should notify the Câmara and the local GNR where the circus is set up, and ask for the municipal vet to inspect the animals,” said Miguel Moutinho.
Mário Ribeiro said that in the case of animal cruelty, complaints should be channelled to the ICNB, DGV and police authorities.
Updated: 09 October 2008
Portugal’s circus animals not inspected by councils
Updated: 09 October 2008
Portugal’s circus animals not inspected by councils
The
Victor Hugo Cardinali circus elephant that collapsed last month in
Tavira
By: ELOISE WALTON
eloise@the-resident.com
CIRCUSES ARE free to set up in Portugal without any inspections by
municipal veterinarians before, during or after the shows, provided
they have a licence from the local Câmara.
The surprising situation was uncovered by The Resident following
last week’s article about the collapse of an elephant at the Victor
Hugo Cardinali circus in Tavira.
Miguel Moutinho, spokesman for the Portuguese animal rights group,
Associação Animal, said: “Municipal vets should inspect circus
animals when they arrive to ensure that they are healthy and well
cared for. Tavira Câmara did not send any vets to inspect the
circus animals.”
He added: “We have no idea whether the animal is well or not. Once
again, circuses are free to do as they like without any
supervision.”
Tavira Câmara President, Macário Correia, told The Resident:
“Câmara officials inspected the installations before the circus
arrived, to ensure that the necessary conditions were
available.
“No one inspected when the circus was set up. The animals, several
of which are exotic, are licensed and checked by the Instituto de
Conservação da Natureza e da Biodiversidade (ICNB), the national
institute for nature conservation and biodiversity.”
He said that he was sorry to hear of what happened to the elephant
but that the Câmara was not informed: “The incident occurred after
the circus had ended its shows and no one reported any mistreatment
or incidents to the Câmara.”
Victor Hugo Cardinali circus
has a number of lions among its collection of performing
animals
Document
approval
ICNB spokesman Sandra Moutinho said that the institute is only
responsible for the licensing of exotic animals, not for their
welfare or quality of life, which is the responsibility of the
Direcção-Geral de Veterinária (DGV), the national veterinary
body.
Mário Ribeiro, a spokesman from the Ministry of the Environment,
told The Resident: “The law does not say that circus animals should
be inspected when a circus sets up in a county; however the DGV has
defined as a procedure that municipal veterinaries should check the
living and maintenance conditions of circus animals.”
He also said: “The DGV are working on gaining approval for a
document specifically related to the protection of animals in
circuses and other shows, which will give entities more adequate
legal ways of controlling this situation.”
After leaving Tavira, the Hugo Cardinali circus moved to Faro. A
spokesman at Faro Câmara said: “All the Câmara does is to provide a
space for the circus to set up. I am sure that no inspections were
carried out by the municipal vet though.” The spokesman said that
the circus finished its shows and left Faro on Monday, but did not
know where they were going next.
Having contacted several Algarve Câmaras, The Resident discovered
that the Victor Hugo Cardinali circus has made a request to set up
in Praia da Rocha today (Friday) and tomorrow. Whether the request
had been authorised, however, was not confirmed at the time of
going to press.
The Resident was unable to obtain a comment from the Hugo Cardinali
circus.
Associação Animal advises anyone who witnesses animal distress or
cruelty in circuses to inform the authorities as quickly as
possible. “People should notify the Câmara and the local GNR where
the circus is set up, and ask for the municipal vet to inspect the
animals,” said Miguel Moutinho.
Mário Ribeiro said that in the case of animal cruelty, complaints
should be channelled to the ICNB, DGV and police authorities.
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