The Municipal Animal Defender of Lisbon launched this Friday the campaign “No money, but love“, which aims to alert residents and tourists in the capital about the exploitation of animals for begging.
In a statement, the Ombudsman said the campaign to “raise awareness against the exploitation of animals in begging” will remain on the streets of Lisbon until August 31.
Lisbon Municipal Animal Supplier Pedro Emanuel Paiva, quoted in a statement, highlights that “there is another objective in ‘No money, but love‘which, although less obvious, is very important.”
There is an “imperative need to make a clear distinction between animals whose owners are homeless people, who treat them as true members of the family, often being their only company, and the diametrically opposite context, practiced by organized groups dedicated to exploitation of animals for charity”, He explained.
“There can be no confusion on this issue,” he stressed.
The campaign, which is being broadcast on 36 advertising media on the main arteries of the capital, has also posters in Metro cars and stations, frills at PSP police stations, in local commercial establishments, posts on social media in Portuguese and English and street actions.
“The aim of being bilingual is to alert not only the Portuguese inhabitants and visitors of Lisbonbut also tourists, which increase significantly in August,” explains Pedro Emanuel Paiva.
Lisbon City Councillor for Animal Protection and Welfare, Ângelo Pereira, says that “acting against the use of animals for begging is imperative in the fight that Lisbon wages daily for animal welfare.”
“It’s a intolerable situation and the Lisbon City Council will not fail to take or support all measures that are necessary to guarantee the respect and dignity of animals in situations of abuse or danger,” he says.
“No money, but love” and the Third initiative launched this year by the Ombudsman, this time in campaign format.
“In the first of the two previous cases, the situations were reported through an emergency button system and, in the second, Animals that were being exploited for begging were rescued.referring them to associations that look after their well-being,” says the supplier.
According to Pedro Emanuel Paiva, the number of complaints received by the Ombudsman’s Office has increased significantly.
The initiative is the Municipal Animal Defender of Lisbon together with the City Council, the Public Security Police (PSP), the BBVA Tivolli Theater, the Lisbon Metro, the Lisbon Tourism, the União de Associação de Comércio e Serviços, the Associação of Dynamização da Baixa Pombalina, Association of Merchants of Bairro Alto and Portuguese League for Animal Rights.
Source: Observadora
