Coronavirus: Fine For Those Who Feed Stray Cats?
Can the police impose a fine on anyone who feeds cats or other stray animals during quarantine? Judging by what is happening, yes.
The latest case occurred in Tuscany, where a woman was fined while she went to feed a colony of cats. Let’s see what the government measures say about it.
Can stray cats be fed during quarantine?
As we all know, the provisions of the Italian government for compliance with the quarantine say that you can go out to look after pets. However, according to what was stated by the Carabinieri who fined the aforementioned woman, by affection animals we mean those owned by them or that in any case have been officially taken care of.
Feeding stray cats without having been officially commissioned cannot therefore be considered a necessity. Felines probably think differently, but so be it. Meanwhile, the Lav, the animal rights association Lega Anti Vivisection, has announced that it will appeal against the provision.
And in normal times, can you be fined? There is no national law or regulation that prohibits or explicitly prohibits the feeding of animals living on the street. Despite this, experts advise avoiding this practice.
Below we provide more information about a possible fine for feeding stray cats. Also find out why this is not a recommended action during this period.
And in normal times, is it legal to feed stray cats?
Unfortunately, the abandonment of animals is a very widespread reality. Despite the numerous awareness campaigns, in fact, there are still those who decide to abandon their pets.
While many people and organizations are willing to help these defenseless beings, there are several legal issues that need to be taken into account before doing so.
There is no national law prohibiting feeding stray cats or other animals. At the regional and municipal level, however, the situation can change. An example is the municipality of Mesagne, in Puglia, where a lady had to pay the sum of 125 euros for feeding stray cats.
The reason for the ban
There are several reasons for this sanction, but the main one is to avoid the proliferation of cat colonies in the city in order to preserve public health.
Since stray cats are not subjected to rigorous veterinary checks, they can be carriers of various diseases, in addition to that they can cause bad smell and dirt on the street. On the other hand, municipal authorities argue that the presence of cats attracts other animals whose presence in urban areas is not positive.
According to various municipal regulations, feeding stray cats causes various problems for citizens. In fact, it increases the hygienic and health problems that society may already present.
As conditions may vary from place to place, it is worth looking up the relevant information on each region and municipality. In this way it will be possible to avoid possible fines that in some cases can exceed hundreds of euros.
In addition to being able to harm the health of the citizens of the community in which you live, feeding cats is also an action that is not recommended for the health of the animals themselves. What aspects must be taken into consideration in this regard?
Many people give cats foods that are not suitable for them. This is because they do not meet their nutritional needs, but in some cases they can even seriously harm their health.
Aid for stray animals
Although in some places it is forbidden to feed stray animals, it is still true that you can opt for alternative solutions to help them. Once again, it is necessary to read up on the ordinances and laws of each place so as to have very clear the limits when it comes to acting.
- One way to help stray cats is to get them off the street and take them to a nearby shelter or rescue center. You can also take them to an animal protection institution or veterinary clinics.
- Another very useful action, especially if it is not possible to offer direct help to animals, is to contact these entities by telephone and give them all the information relating to the animal.
- If the person is an animal lover and has their best interests at heart, they can volunteer at the different animal rescue centers found far and wide in each country.
- A further recommendation is to try to make people aware of the responsibilities towards animals. To do this, you don’t need to be a famous audiovisual producer or have a lot of money, just use the different social networks.
To avoid a fine when feeding stray cats, or other animals living on the street, you need to inform yourself about the laws and regulations of each municipality.
It should be noted that feeding is not the only effective activity for helping animals. There are many others, equally or more useful for the well-being of felines and the community in general.
