The state grant to eligible animal welfare organisations will increase from 100,000 to 140,000 euros in 2024 in recognition of the valuable work of animal welfare volunteers, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment said on Friday in a press release on the World Animal Day.
It is further noted that the Ministry has undertaken several actions to improve animal welfare conditions, including the implementation of a series of educational activities in schools to educate children on animal protection and welfare issues.
Actions also include the improvement of the living conditions of productive animals through the implementation of special projects within the framework of the Rural Development Programme, the implementation on an annual basis of a country-wide stray cat sterilisation plan, with a total cost of 100,000 euros, through which about 2,000 cats are sterilized annually, the implementation of a plan to support local authorities create regional stray dogs temporary care centres, covering the six-year period 2024-2029 with a total budget of €1,5 million, the coordination between Ministry departments for the protection and welfare of equids in remote areas, as well as the interconnection of the Game and Fauna Service hunting dog registers with the Veterinary Services dog register, with the aim of reducing the number of stray dogs.
The Ministry also made reference to the promotion, in cooperation with the local authorities, the Game and Fauna Service and the Veterinary Services, of a protocol for coordination aiming to facilitate the capture of stray dogs and their subsequent management, the promotion of a draft amendment bill to strengthen the Dogs Act and the promotion of draft regulations to establish minimum ownership requirements for pet dogs.
( Source: CNA)
