"Help to our little friends" - a project that will introduce a new law in the field of animal protection
The national legislative framework in the field of animal protection is to be improved through the "Help to our little friends" project implemented by the National Environment Center between May 2022 and May 2023 with the financial support of the European Union.
I 30 years since independence, no law has been adopted in this regard. In Moldova, there are only local regulations for pets, and the national legislation on the identification and registration of animals refers only to species of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, equids, donkeys, and their descendants, with the exception of wild animals.
At the same time, people are increasingly worried about the packs of dogs they encounter on the street, the biggest concern being the safety of children. Active communication with citizens is imperative to explain to them that this problem is also related to their behavior and perception of animals, especially when they choose to have a pet and then abandon it.
The innovative element of the project is the public consultations held in two stages: pre- and post-elaboration of the legislative framework for the protection of stray animals. To begin with, representatives of the local public administration from the three areas of the Republic of Moldova were consulted: North, Center, and South, who expressed their visions and concerns related to this subject. Among them are the lack of a centralized mechanism for registration and evidence of stray animals, the lack of a structure and/or specialized service in this field, the allocation of additional financial sources, the introduction of penal mechanisms in cases of violence against animals and facilities for responsible owners of pets etc.
In parallel, a wide-ranging public awareness and information campaign is being carried out under the banner "Adopt a friend", through which the project aims to change the perception and behavior of the public towards stray animals, encouraging citizens to either adopt or provide aid to animal shelters. The campaign emphasizes the conscious and responsible adoption and care of the little friends, and all the informational materials are available on the website and Facebook page of the National Environment Centre.
Contact person: Anastasia Radu, communication manager, National Environment Centre.
