A video recorded by security cameras in Ponta Grossa, in the vicinity of the Reference Center for Animals at Risk (CRAR), shows employees of Clinicão, the company responsible for management, releasing animals onto the street after care. The footage sparked controversy in the city.
Clinicão won a tender to care for animals in the city. The initial amount to be bid was R$ 32 million and the contracted amount closed at R$ 22 million. The contract, however, was the subject of the Special Investigation Commission (CEI) in the Ponta Grossa City Council due to alleged steering and put the company under the opposition’s spotlight.
For councilor Guilherme Mazer (PT), the abandonment of the animals is problematic not only for the lack of respect toward the pets, but because it hampers oversight of the procedures already carried out.
“This is the face of the Elizabeth government (Elizabeth Schmidt, the city’s mayor, of União Brasil), abandonment. We can’t carry out oversight; good thing there was a camera recording,” he criticized.
The company, in turn, defended itself by saying that “the animals received full veterinary assistance, including emergency clinical treatment, medication, spaying/neutering, and vaccination”.
The note goes on to explain that “returning animals to their place of origin does not constitute abandonment. This is the CED procedure (Capture, Sterilization and Return), an ethical and internationally recognized strategy for managing the population of community animals, which provides for spaying/neutering, vaccination, and subsequent return after a safe recovery”.
Julia Sobkowiak
However, councilor Teka dos Animais (União Brasil) went to the place where the dogs were left and confirmed that they did not live there before the clinic’s care. “Given the seriousness of the situation, we were on site, spoke with residents, and received the information that the animals do not belong to that region. According to protocol, after the procedure and the appropriate recovery period, the animals must be returned to the same place from which they were removed, ensuring safety and follow-up,” said the legislator.
The animals were treated on February 20 and the release took place on March 5. The company claims that, despite overcrowding, the dogs remained hospitalized longer than expected to ensure safety.
“CRAR currently operates near its maximum capacity (80 spots), which requires responsible management of the spaces to prioritize critical cases and animals unable to return, in addition to holding adoption events”.
The Ponta Grossa city government, in turn, mentioned that it acts “strictly within the terms of the Law” and that, in these situations, it is common to return animals to the places where they usually circulate.
