Various experts highlight the important role of the veterinarian in cases of animal abuse

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Santiago de Compostela held a conference on Animal Protection and Abuse, a current perspective on rules and procedures from the legal and veterinary field, in collaboration with the Provincial Council of Lugo, the Official College of Veterinarians of Lugo, Galino, Royal Canin and the Institute of Agricultural Biodiversity and Rural Development (IBADER). ).

José Luis Benedito CastelotThe President of the College of Veterinarians of Lugo opened the conference with the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Gonzalo Fernandez RodriguezAnd the course director, Maria Mercedes Caminha Garcia.

Benedetto commented that as of September 29, when the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Welfare of Animals 7/2023 comes into force, veterinarians will have to do information work, “because people do not know the law.” Furthermore, he regretted not consulting the profession when preparing it, but recalls that “The law must be followed, and this must be done in the best possible wayFor his part, Fernandez pointed out that animal protection is a multidisciplinary problem that “must be addressed in a wise manner.” One health“.

He was the first speaker at the session Alfredo Fernandez AlvarezExpert of the General Council of Veterinarians of Spain (CGVE). The expert explained the work of forensic experts and analyzed the various relevant legal aspects. He emphasized that animal abuse “is an element of guardian nature,” and that “identifying it in animals can prevent its development or extension to humans.” For this reason he lamented the lack of study of animal abuse as an element of aetiology: “It is important that we begin our study plans by raising awareness among veterinarians about this issue.“.

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Alfredo Fernandez giving the presentation

The veterinary expert added that personal opinions should not be given, “but professional ones, and we must provide them with values ​​of a scientific nature.” In this way, “our conclusions will have more value than any opinion, because they will be science.” However, he stressed that “No veterinarian should place any other criteria before the welfare of animals and respect for their health. Not even economicHe noted that for veterinary medicine to have community support, “we have to realize that when we do our work we represent ourselves, but also our profession.”

Veterinarians as effective communicators

Maria Luisa Fernandez ReyThe head of the Internal Medicine Department at Roof Codina Veterinary Hospital explained how to conduct an examination on an animal when mistreatment is suspected. He pointed out that “the majority of animal abuse cases that are prosecuted do not go to trial,” but veterinarians always “They must use their skills as effective communicators to find a way to speak on behalf of the victim.“.

The first day concluded with a conference Yolanda Gomez Saavedra, a veterinarian from the Department of Environment, Territory and Housing. He explained the details of Law No. 4/2017 on the protection and care of pets in Galicia, and insisted to professionals and future professionals about The importance of “spreading the rule” To inform residents of the laws dealing with animal abuse.

The second day of the course was of a practical nature. Jesús Cantalapiedra Alvarez, a veterinarian from the Department of Rural Affairs, laid out the peculiarities of animal protection in the case of horses and cows. He stressed that the veterinary inspector “should follow the rule, not personal assessments,” but stated that it is also important “Educate people, not just the file“. the next, Maria Rey CamposThe CAPSA Foods auditor explained how an animal welfare audit is conducted using the protocol Quality luxury In a practical session at Gayoso Castro’s farm at the University of Santiago de Compostela.

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Mariu0301a Ray Campos in session at Gayoso Castro's farm (1)

Maria Rey Campos explains to the audience.

Jesús Casabelle Pintos, a senior professor at the University of Southern California, devoted his talk to teaching about protection in the case of laboratory animals. He claimed that “Each individual will have to decide whether or not it is ethically permissible to use animals in experiments.This is why it must be taken into account that “if there is a good animal model, there can be significant scientific progress in a short time, but if it is bad, progress can slow down.”

finally, Lucia Belver QuirogaThe Department of Rural Affairs lawyer concluded the day with a conference on the Department’s actions in confronting non-compliance with regard to the protection of production animals, noting that “He is almost always punished for minor or serious infractions“It’s not common for it to be for very serious crimes.”

Development of a new animal welfare law

The last day focused on the legal aspects of animal care and protection. first speaker, Luis Villares Navaira, judge of the Administrative Dispute Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of Galicia, addressed the legal and jurisprudential system on this issue and highlighted that Galician Law No. 4/2017, although it precedes the new Animal Welfare Law, “evolves into this state law”. until “In some cases, such as hunting dogs, they have a higher protection system in Galician law.“, he claimed.

Lucia Giron CondeThe Deputy Public Prosecutor of Lugo of the Spanish Network of Prosecutors for Environment, Urban Planning, Historic Heritage and Animal Abuse spoke about the criminal protection of animals and praised that “the current regulation on animal abuse is very new. We are moving from an anthropocentric perspective to an animal-centric perspective“.

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For this part, David Santos RioA lawyer for the administration of justice, analyzed how to enter and search a closed place, and its usefulness as a guarantee of judicial protection in cases of animal abuse. He pointed out that “veterinarians are obligated to report news of any criminal case they know about by virtue of their position,” and that “In these cases, it is recommended to undergo a veterinary expert examination from the beginning.But he warned that “it is not advisable to publish possible cases of animal abuse on social networks,” because the author “could remove the evidence.”

To conclude the course A round table was organised The speakers on the last day were able to clarify concepts that were not clear during the celebration of the day. The session was moderated by José Luis Benedito Castelot.

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