Abandoning animals: what can you do

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 25 January 2021
Update Date: 16 May 2024
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Do Not Abandon Your Pet
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It's in the end of the year vacation which traditionally increases the abandonment of animals. Unfortunately, although adoptions have grown over the past few years, the truth is that the number of dropouts is not decreasing as much as we'd like. There is no official data on the subject in Brazil, but if we analyze the large number of dogs and cats in shelters and temporary homes, it is possible to observe this reality. According to an estimate by the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 30 million abandoned animals in Brazil.

That's why in this PeritoAnimal article we're going to talk about animal abandonment: what can you do. We will detail the main causes that lead people to abandon their companions, especially cats and dogs. And we've already pointed out that leaving them on the street is never an option. Check out some of the tips that we present with the aim of providing more quality of life with respect and compassion for animals.


Abandoning or mistreating animals is a crime

According to Federal Law No. 9,605 of 1998, abandoning or mistreating animals is a crime. In addition, Federal Law No. 14,064, enacted in 2020, provides for a penalty of up to five years in prison, ban on custody and fine for whoever does this.

Article 32 of the 1998 law makes it clear that practicing abuse, ill-treatment, injuring or mutilating wild, domestic or domesticated animals, native or exotic, is a crime and abandonment is characterized as a type of maltreatment..

Also according to Brazilian animal protection legislation, the penalty can be increased from one-sixth to one-third if the animal's death occurs.

It should be noted that, when adopting or buying a pet, be it a cat, dog, rabbit, hamster or any other, the guardian is making a commitment to provide his well-being, in addition to being responsible for your health and for preventing possible damage that your pet may cause to the population or the environment.


An abandoned animal can die of cold, hunger or develop some disease; can cause accidents on streets and roads; can attack other animals and people and, consequently, increase the zoonoses occurrence, which are infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa.

If you witness animal abuse, gather any types of evidence, such as photos, audio and videos and register a police report in a police station.

Most common causes of pet abandonment

Among the most common causes for abandoning animals are the following:

lack of family organization

Human family members don't share tasks and/or didn't really want a pet in their lives. This can be avoided by involving the family in the adoption process. Make a scheme of dividing tasks according to the age of the responsible humans, if they are not old enough, for example, for walks. Remember that it is essential to talk a lot with the whole family before assuming this responsibility, as taking care of an animal requires a lot of dedication and affection.


Adoption on impulse or for reasons of change

Moving or adopting while on vacation and then not knowing what to do with the dog or cat. This, as terrible as it may sound, happens very often and especially during vacations, as many people believe that a pet can be fun for a while. But when they return to their routine, children at school and adults at work, they notice that the animal is practically abandoned for 16 hours alone at home and often gets bored and starts to break things, which will lead to its being expelled.

These tutors have neither the time nor the desire to educate him, but we can always turn to a dog educator, a neighbor who wants to accompany him with his family, or simply, if we do not find an immediate solution, look for a substitute family. abandon the animal it's never a good idea.

Beginning of a relationship in which the partner/partner does not accept the animal

If you start dating or are you going to get married and your new partner doesn't like dogs or is allergic to cats. We must be very sure that the animal is already part of our family to try to integrate everyone in the same house. We cannot simply abandon the "conflict", which is why it is important to dialogue and find the best solution.

Infallibility for the lifestyle

What is very common is when a dog or cat is not suitable for the person's lifestyle. This point goes very hand in hand with the first point, lack of time. This usually happens with young people living alone and they look for a companion for the times when they are alone at home. But generally they note that they won't abandon their walks for a drink after work and/or college, as long as their dog doesn't spend more than 12 hours home alone.

It also happens in these cases that they choose a cat, but because they are very alone at home, the feline begins to feel the owner of the place and can become aggressive in the presence of strangers in "his house" and as a result, the human cannot continue to invite friends to study or eat. We must be aware that if our animal behaves inappropriately for what we expect of it, it may be due to our lack of care or inadequate socialization on our part. Therefore, it is important to get advice from professionals on the subject in order to find a solution, but never abandon it.

Lack of time to keep the pet

Lack of time to walk with him, educate him, feed him are some of the causes that, although they have already been explained in the previous points, we must consider.

Abandonment of animals that get sick

Unfortunately, it is common to find sick stray animals. What is common is that a person adopts an animal and, when acquire some disease, he is abandoned because the guardian is unwilling or unable to provide the necessary care, take him to the veterinarian or buy medicine for a treatment. In these cases, it is important to highlight that there are families willing to adopt and welcome animals under these conditions.

Financial problems

A large number of people buy or adopt pets without carrying out any previous planning, whether thinking about the time that should be devoted to the companionship of the animal, or even financial. Therefore, when observing the cats with food, medicines, accessories, among others, the person realizes that they were not prepared to expand the budget. That's why we recommend always reflecting on all aspects before making a decision like this.

Now that you've seen what the main causes of abandonment of animals in Brazil and in the world, below we will present suggestions of what you can do to avoid this.

What to do about pet abandonment

Although we have already discussed the most common causes of pet abandonment, we believe that the most important thing to do is to address our responsibility as tutors of an animal. The arrival of the pet to the family must be a mature act and very well thought out among all. Animals can be given away, adopted or purchased, but always with the awareness that they will be our responsibility and not for a few days, but for many years. Therefore, to avoid abandoning animals, before adopting, always reflect on some points.

Before adopting an animal:

  • An animal, such as a dog or cat, depending on the breed, can live up to 20 years.
  • Like us, animals may need medication, take tests and contract or develop illnesses.
  • Do a survey to find out the fixed expenses that you will have with the animal, in addition to analyzing prices of accessories, such as beds, brushes, guides, collars, shampoo, etc.
  • Don't give someone a pet unless you're sure they want it badly and have already planned to do so.

If you are concerned about abandoning animals and want to know how to help, there are many possibilities:

How to help stray animals

  • You can offer your home as temporary home for animals.
  • Another way to help is through animal sponsorship in shelters.
  • Share cases of stray animals on your social networks to help them find a new home.
  • You can help promote the neutering of stray cats and dogs. Neutering them is one of the best ways to reduce the number of stray animals.
  • Be a volunteer or volunteer at animal NGOs.
  • Donate to shelters and animal protection associations
  • Report abuse and abandonment of animals. You can look for police stations or also contact Ibama, the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. Ibama's contacts are on the talk to Ibama page.

Now that you know how to handle the animal abandonment to change this sad reality, be sure to check out the following video on how to take care of a kitten cat:

If you want to read more articles similar to Abandoning animals: what can you do, we recommend that you enter our What You Need to Know section.