The death of three dogs by electrocution in Lisbon and Odivelas, which occurred near public lighting posts and is already under investigation, reached Parliament this week. After reactions from opposition parties in the Lisbon Chamber, PAN (People-Animals-Nature) came forward with formal requests for clarification addressed to the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Lisbon City Council and the Odivelas municipality, demanding responsibilities and the immediate reinforcement of inspections across the entire public network. The application has already been submitted to the Assembly of the Republic.
The request follows the news revealed by DN about the three animals dead after stepping on wet areas near public lamps. In a statement to DN, the party leader, Inês Sousa Real, warns of the seriousness of what happened and the need to guarantee the safety of people and animals in public spaces.
“It is essential to determine civil, political and criminal responsibilities, including in the context of crimes against companion animals”, says the deputy. He emphasizes that, in addition to the death of the three dogs, there is also “the suffering of families who lost their animals and compensation for the damage they incurred”.
The deputy also emphasizes that this is a problem that goes beyond animal rights. “We are facing an unacceptable risk to the safety and lives of people, particularly children, and other animals that may circulate in green spaces where network failures have not been corrected”, he says, pointing out that some of these failures may have been flagged by municipal councils, “as is the case in Lisbon, which is responsible for management, and also to E-Redes”.
Inês Sousa Real considers it urgent that the authorities respond clearly and quickly. “We hope that, through the requests submitted through the Assembly of the Republic, clarifications can be obtained on these cases”, he states. But, more than that, he insists that “safety in the circulation of these spaces must be taken care of as soon as possible”, something that, according to the deputy, “has not yet been verified, through the images collected by residents after the accidents”.