Anderlecht ( Brussels Morning Newspaper): Help Animals in Anderlecht caretakers were horrified during their morning tour around the facility when they spotted what can be considered hazardous materials among the garbage awaiting pick up. Three kittens were found inside a watery and sealed bag, which raised suspicion about their health.
Nadège Pineau, the operational manager at Help Animals, expressed relief that the caretakers were alert enough to notice the package, stating,
If our caretakers hadn’t been so alert, this package could have ended up in the garbage truck with the regular trash. To the Buryats, it would have been a terrible fate for these animals.
The case reveals that animals left without care is a problem that is happening in the present day and is also unlawful according to the Law of Belgium.
Some caretakers at Help Animals in Anderlecht found three abandoned kittens one morning while throwing garbage away. They found a garbage bag with kittens inside it. The shelter also characterised the act as being shameful and unlawful, as the act of abandoning animals attracts prison terms and penalties. The kittens were rescued by the organisation Help Animals, which is now working to give them the opportunity to have a better life. Pineau condemned the act of abandoning animals in such a manner, calling it “an act of cowardice” and describing the act of wrapping them up and hiding them in the garbage as “downright perverse.” According to Law No 14-8-1986 on the protection of animals and their welfare, any person who has knowingly abandoned an animal will expose himself to an arrest ranging from one to three months and the payment of a sum not exceeding two thousand euros. The shelter is optimistic that the footage will be of help in identifying and thus putting to jail whoever unleashed such an act on that dog. However, Pineau pointed out that not many of those who abandon animals are actually brought to book, and this sparked debate on the issue of sanctions for such cases. This particular case sheds light on a much wider problem of animal rights in Belgium. In particular, the company seeks to educate the public on the repercussions of abandonment and fight for increased compliance with laws protecting animals. They educate the public that whenever they are found with care to rescue such little kittens, they always advise the public on how to take care of their animals and to look for help if they cannot continue to do so.
The ongoing challenge of animal abandonment
Pet abandonment continues to be a problem in Belgium and across Europe in general to date. Every year, many thousands of animals are abandoned and face a grim future, to put it mildly. Help Animals and other animal shelters are the places that find, take in, and help abandoned pets, but most of the time, they are overwhelmed by the number of animals, thanks to irresponsible owners. The impact on everyone involved is huge; many animals in need are neglected or starved before being rescued.
Recently, many campaigns have been initiated on this subject to educate people on the right way of handling pets and discourage people from buying pets but rather adopting them. Companies encourage selective fixing of pets to prevent the continued birth of animals that end up being abandoned. Furthermore, most shelters have been providing handling help to people who are having difficulties in catering to their animals: this is through temporary adoption or help in the adoption of new homes.
The law concerning animals has developed progressively, resulting in new laws for animal abandonment and cruelty. Nevertheless, discretionary enforcement continues to manifest in a discouraging manner across regions, and there have been increasing demands for stricter sanctions against the violators. When communities are involved in animal welfare programs, it is thought that something awful like the recently found kittens that extend the borders of Brussels in Anderlecht will act as a stimulus for change, enabling penalties on people who engage in cruelty to living beings.
