- PAN, what are you doing? Making propaganda? -
And a complaint to all who don’t know (or don´t want to know) the real situation, but
instead having a deformed image of truth and justice.
But also many thanks to people who were able to look at the reality based on their own
observations and a free mind, either giving us strength or giving critical comments,
however with good intentions followed many times by offering help, real help.
15 August 2024.
Another day of attacking dogs to get them out of their living circumstances.
This time organized by Ribalta Gatificante (ComRaça).
However not only with the presence of some of the followers of Ana Pinto da Costa, but
surprisingly a political party, PAN, was represented.
This became clear one day later when publications had been put on Facebook.
On appropriate places questions are directed to PAN and also some to all.
QUESTION 1 TO PAN
Why didn’t you contact us first before committing yourself to Ribalta Gratificante
(ComRaça)?
PAN had not only committed themselves to Ribalta Gratificante (ComRaça), but was
also directly involved in the action.
As far as I can remember PAN told me 6 years ago that they are a political party and so
no activists.
After my presentation in June 2018 for the Assembleia of Santa Maria da Feira, you
came to me and offered help in my effort to get a license for the shelter. As a matter of
fact we had a good chance to get it, based on the meeting we had with CCDR-N where
we were told that article 25 of the REN, which mentions services to the community,
could be applied. As we sterilized at that time on the average 550 dogs and cats per year
we could be considered as giving such a service.
Your reason to be together with Ribalta Gratificante (ComRaça) in Inha, as you
described on your facebook publication: shows another PAN:
“É de facto necessário ir à raiz da questão e resolver um problema social……etc.”
By this, PAN has put themselves above the authorities, who are responsible within the
framework of a democracy.
PAN is acting in the same way as for instance a popular court is doing (about 7 years
ago a woman in Inha lifted her arm up, clenched fist, while shouting “Power to the
people!”) and concerning the authorities you may think about a kind of coup.
It’s clear that photos have been published with the heading PAN Porto.
It's suspicious that just the dogs along the street which can be seen on the photos of
PAN Porto have disappeared after the action.
That's to say the participants (also PAN was there) took them away.
2
It wouldn't be the first time that dogs have been taken away. Ribalta Gratificante
(ComRaça) had been an obvious suspect when, for example, babies disappeared
together with a big pan to cook food for the dogs and other tools from the then shelter.
QUESTION 2 TO PAN
By the way do you know that the shelter, after the demolishment on the 3.rd of May
2022, has not been replaced?
There are only two private jails within the area of our home and Berta is using them to
keep pitbull-like dogs safe, two dogs who nobody else wanted to take care of and who
could be too dangerous for other animals if they would stay free.
And the present dogs have all been registered under private names - there are no dogs
under the name of ARC Canedo.
PAN has anyhow committed themselves to a controversial association, which has been
quite a number of years illegal with also a doubtful financial management (invoices
made in word shown as proof of payment in facebook, for example).
Ribalta Gratificante (ComRaça) with friends still accuses us that we are mafia, together
with other associations and organizations, from which dogs will be send to the
Netherlands or other countries.
The way they say it, tends to wrongly conclude that the associations in question should
earn a lot of money from adoption (it was even called «selling») of stray dogs to other
countries and therefore they should buy food instead of getting food for free from the
BSA actions to collect food in supermarkets..
In the broadcast of TVI Ana Pinto da Costa firmly condemned the associations in
question.
TVI is facing a criminal process by the court for their false and misleading broadcast.
Recently Ribalta Gratificante (ComRaça) mentioned in “País ao Minuto” again that
there is a mafia around the animal cause with dubious and confidential intentions.
Ana Pinto da Costa has accused my counterpart in the Netherlands to sell animals from
Portugal for the sex industry instead of getting families to adopt.
Last year they attacked for the second time (together with Carla Amaral) the IRA by
accusing them to have myopia, as they had declared that the visit to the shelter in July
2020 had given no reason to take dogs away, although the shelter was not perfect.
Immediately after the demolishment of the shelter, Ribalta Gratificante (ComRaça) put
a copy of a publication of Carla Amaral on their own Facebook – so, they know very
well that the shelter no longer exists but still they want people to be misled.
In that publication it was mentioned that there would have now become an end of
killing dogs, which would have been ´centenas´ in the foregoing years.
After 4 days ComRaça changed the publication, by mentioning ´dezenas´ of dogs.
Carla Amaral changed it more than one year later.
The action of PAN together with Ribalta Gratificante (ComRaça) has similarities with
the action on the 25.th of January 2020 where the association Condeixa Patudos (backed
by Carla Amaral) wanted to free 20 dogs from the then shelter.
The same tactics has been used.
3
Such as inciting people to rescue hungry and thirsty dogs and, when they failed, the
group went under false pretenses ("that they will come back after lunch") to a house in
Louredo where 3 robbers, with help of Carla Amaral and other accomplices, robbed my
personal dog, 2 other dogs and 6 cats.
I’m still trying to find them and I got some information which became visible out of the
hands of Carla Amaral.
It has leaded many years later to a bizarre reaction of ComRaça about a crash in August
2023.
Here is what happened.
As I said, I kept trying to find them among other things by many sit actions on public
places among others on the public roads near the houses of the three robbers, while
having a large photo of my dog Mike to track attention from people who were passing.
In August last year, twice, a car was trying to eliminate me.
The first time by intimidation, but the second time the same car crashed me, by which I
had fallen on the road. The driver drove immediately away.
A publication on Facebook about the crash gave a lot of reactions, of which some from
ComRaça.
On almost every comment showing support, ComRaça put a smile emoji as answer even
saying that they agree with crushing people who treat animals bad.
After the demolishment of the shelter most of the dogs are living in freedom and are
under care of Berta Brazão.
Anyhow concerning food, water, going to the vet in case of weak or wounded dogs or
cats found in the street, also by people (who even are advised to go to Inha because they
know we do always our best to help stray dogs and cats immediately),
If necessary by driving many miles to pick them up out of danger or to go for
sterilization. There are no weekends, no holidays, no difference between day or night.
This leads to the dogs of Inha. Because, since the shelter is closed, our main activity is
sterilization of dogs and cats, not only of less financially strong families, but also of
stray dogs.
The free dogs are living mainly on the area of the former shelter, but also some of them
are staying in the forest and the river banks. They organize themselves in groups (packs)
and have different territories.
When the demolishment of the shelter took place, also the entrance gate has been
removed, by which most of the dogs can easily walk out or lay down at the entrance
near the road. Of course, when people come, they gather around.
Destroying the paved steep road up to the shelter has given inhuman personal
implications and also took away the possibility for the dogs to lay down on it.
Berta often walks with one or two, whose freedom is for some reason restricted, to walk
along the river, and the pack - despite their life in freedom - follows them (see photo).
All free dogs have been first neutered by us. After that, they stay almost all of them near
our place as we take care of them giving food and deworming.
Still they are one or more packs in Inha - controlled packs.
The largest problem is about ticks, flies and other parasites.
4
Years ago we had a tick plague in the shelter. With help of a lot of people we could
combat it, among other things by hanging up bottles with a special liquid to keep
mosquitos and flies on distance; but living this dogs in freedom in the wild, it is more
difficult to do it in only one time.
Many times we asked for help for food and medicines against external parasites and
only one clinic offered some pills; but you (PAN) and people who are now asking how
we can justify that there are tics, you did only offer critics without any help.
QUESTION 3 TO PAN
Were you aware of the following?
The disgusting role of some neighbors, who with Carla Amaral on the background were
already against the shelter eight years ago, to provoke the dogs with sticks and throw
stones to them.
They take food away which Berta puts every day in the forest. Some neighbors give the
robbed food to their own dogs, others throw it in the river. Realistic neighbors (some of
them who have even adopted some of our dogs) have witnessed it.
One of the bad neighbors even came to us to give a shoot with a shotgun.
In April last year I had a meeting with one of the city counselors and asked for a place
to take care of dogs and cats just before sterilization until a short time after they had
been sterilized. I also asked to get the private doghouses back also to put some
elsewhere on places with stray dogs without houses..
We never got such a place although there are old school buildings deteriorating without
any use being attributed to them.
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS
On the 15.th from midday until it became dark I was watching what happened with the
dogs.
I saw that just as the action in January 2020 people came (with good intentions) with
food and water, because they had got the message that the dogs would get not enough
food and water.
However the dogs didn't immediately drink also not after several efforts of people to
push them to do it. Food was also not very attractive, although it was delicious quality
food. I saw that just late in the afternoon one of the larger white dogs was eating some
dry food which had been put on a plate.
Some people put bowls with water on the middle of the road, while cars were passing
nearby.
It was obvious that many people showed much pity to the dogs. I have no doubt that the
people who were there would love dogs, but the dogs enjoyed their freedom, while
getting enough water, food and attention, such as they were coming to the people.
A black dog got cold water over his back. I tried to warn the woman who did it, that if
an animal is too hot, you might use instead a wet but not too cold towel and not
dropping water over him because it can be dangerous.
Anyhow, even if the dog walked all the street up under the sun, it is difficult that she
could get a heat stroke because they have the river a few meters down the grove and
also at our house and even in the slope; and shadows, in the middle of the forest, is of
course what you have more around here.
I think the woman did not understand English.
QUESTION 4 TO PAN
5
Am I right that you are accomplices in the actions of Ribalta Gratificante (ComRaça)
and infected by the urge to make propaganda, also because you have not contacted us in
advance?
Knowing that taking chipped and registered dogs away is an illegal action, before it
might happen that the chips will be taken out by any corrupt veterinarian, will you give
us back the robbed dogs?
I really hope that CED will be formally allowed by law for all stray dogs and cats and
not only for cats living in colonies. (We do even more than CED as we make an effort
to take care of the neutered stray animals)
How might the still increasing overpopulation ever be reduced without CED?
I am seriously afraid that Portugal will become the next Turkey.
QUESTION 5 TO PAN
Where is your strong effort to create awareness at the people about the absolute need of
sterilization?
I know that in the Netherlands it came above in the sixties, together with birth control of
humans.
In Portugal, 60 years later, other ways might be found.
Countrywide an obligation to sterilize should be established, at least for a substantial
number of years.
If this would be considered by you a step too far, small steps might be help such as to
oblige sterilization for each dog or cat who had escaped from a family, before giving
them back.
Making CED legally possible would be another successful step.
Awareness of the importance of sterilization is part of the awareness about the value of
a dog or cat as a mutual companion in life requiring respect and minimal empathy,
which will have a positive effect on the need of sterilization.
QUESTION TO ALL
Do you realize what would have happened if we wouldn't have
sterilized stray dogs collected by ourselves or on request of other people?
Well, there would not be dogs along the Rio Inha.
And the whole circus on the 15th would not have taken place.
But sure the same dogs would be elsewhere in the country reproducing themselves,
making the problem bigger.
How about the neighbors there, in those places? With growing packs of dogs causing
damage, killing farm animals, and so on…
In the meantime, when they would not been picked up, more puppies had already been
born (in the wild).
Thus more street dogs in the future and puppies who had suffered maybe until death.
By the way it should have cost a large amount of money considering all the GNR
officials who had to go to Inha to be paid by the community.
I have read all the comments and reactions.
In one of them a woman put a photo of one of the dogs in Inha insinuating that we
would be guilty if that dog would die.
Immediately the following question came up.
6
- WHY ARE THERE SO MANY STRAY DOGS AND CATS IN PORTUGAL?
That is for me the basic question to start.
The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany etc. have not brought them!
That means: from each citizen to the president of Portugal they all are accomplices.
So also the woman who put the comment.
Already as far as I know since 2018, as mentioned in one of the comments conflicts and
even personal wars were going on. Even violent actions.
In 2018 a woman got a conflict with Berta Brazão who accused her not to offer help to
another shelter.
The facebook conversation ended when the woman wrote: do you want war? I will win
the war!
At that moment personal emotions and interests will prevail.
And that’s precisely how it may go. It escalates to the importance of a personal status.
Ana Pinto da Costa always cries victory when dogs, who are in her mind badly treated,
give her the opportunity to show up, but she shows not any willing to cooperate.
I hope the personal interest and the show see-me attitude will disappear.
Except personal wars and personal conflicts, people don’t stop with insults such as
malafide dog traders, monsters, psychopaths, murderers, assassins, etc. Also in the last
publications of 15 August.
When one would publish a video of a dying puppy, you may receive a tsunami of
critics: you will be a monster, while the video had the intention to make people aware
of what can happen when a puppy will be abandoned, dumped wherever.
Also here a question for all:
WOULD YOU CALL PEOPLE MONSTERS WHEN THEY ABANDON PUPPIES
OR KITTENS WITHOUT ASKING FOR HELP?
The last question has an essential addition. Namely WITHOUT ASKING FOR HELP.
Every association or individual who wants to help dogs or cats needs also help.
So also we.
We for sure have realize the problems of the parasites, as I wrote before.
But when people stuck in prejudices and unnamed critics and offer no single help which
has been asked on Facebook so many times… and then come teasing and demanding
results…
About the adoption of the dogs, I am not satisfied that they just have transferred, despite
I am sure they have a good place in the approved legal shelter in Aanifeira, because they
were intended to be adopted in the Netherlands or Belgium where they are very good
treated.
But again it’s an example of only listening to a complaint, but not to hear the other side
of the story or situation.
There was even not the veterinary of the municipal canil who is required to look at the
conditions of the dogs before they go to another place.
But that was the less damaging solution for them according the scenario that day.
ABOUT OUR WORK
7
Actually we let sterilize about 250 dogs and cats per year.
That will result, taking into account the average lifetime of dogs and cats, into the
prevention of circa 375.000 births of puppies and kittens and the correspondent
suffering, with also a positive effect to the community.
We help also individual people at the spot.
Also many communities of the gypsies such as in Gião, Sanguedo, 4 neighborhoods in
Gaia and some other places because the message runs from one to another community.
They need not only sterilizations, but also good conditions (both the dogs and the
human beings).
QUESTION 6 TO PAN
Why don't you use political influence to help the gypsy communities, having also
children and animals and talk to them?
Don't have all Portuguese people the same rights?
Isn’t it a social need, in your own words “É de facto necessário ir à raiz da questão e
resolver um problema social……etc.”
We have all the female dogs sterilized in 5 places. And now, in other communities to
end. And we take their animals to the vet, and we give them deworm pills and work to
give better conditions to their dogs.
What does PAN Feira and PAN Gaia do to help these animals? And the people (also
children)?
You have never visited the gypsies neighborhoods.
QUESTION 7 TO PAN
Why are you not going to the people to help them to give dogs in a chain also the
possibility to walk with them? For instance in consultation with the owners to ask
neighbors or visitors of a café to walk with a dog on a chain (as obliged by law).
Where are your actions to increase respect for a dog or cat and even empathy so that an
animal for companion will be real for companion in a mutual way. And not be adopted
to go from a jail in a shelter or canil to another jail or a chain outside a house?
QUESTION 8 TO PAN
Are you not afraid that, considering the actual situation of an increasing population of
stray dogs and cats will lead to Portugal as the second Turkey to eliminate by a so called
friendly way but practical going back to the killing stations?
APPEAL TO PAN:
Be PAN as you were in the past, contact citizens on local scale.
Small is beautiful, create local groups to think about the community including the
animals.
All over the world this creates more changes than large projects with a lot of politics.
You may read the book of Jane Goodall (The Book of Hope) which is also translated in
Portuguese.
Local teams under the name of Shoots and Roots gain remarkable results in helping
their suffering communities.
In Portugal you might think about local teams to consider the welfare of animals as part
of the community and to reduce the suffering of the animals and at the same time reduce
risks of diseases, accidents and nuisance for the humans and children.
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