According to a press release, the campaign “Sterilising is also caring”, in the year 2024, covered “213 animals, of which 136 were cats and 77 dogs” and, “in the majority, the owners chose to sterilise the females (84 felines and 53 canines)”.

Last year, Tondela City Council “reimbursed 16,890 euros to the applications submitted” within the scope of this campaign.

As part of the campaign, created in 2021, “786 animals have been sterilised/neutered since then, with the help of the municipality”. In the first year, the project reached 139 animals and, in the following year, 223, totalling €28 thousand.”

“The sterilisation and/or castration of companion animals, in the form of reimbursement, is supported by the local authority to the tune of 125 euros for female dogs, 70 euros for male dogs, 80 euros for female cats and 35 euros for male cats,” says the press release.

According to the regulations, the support “only covers the inhabitants of the municipality and is limited to four dogs for each family”.

“With this campaign, the Municipality intends to encourage and raise awareness among the municipality's population about the act of sterilisation, a procedure that helps to avoid overpopulation, control the increase in unwanted litters and reduce abandonment and the number of street animals”, justifies the city hall.

The action, adds the Chamber, “also contributes to boosting local commerce, particularly veterinary clinics”.

Ownerless animals also “deserve the city hall’s concern” which, since 2021, has been performing “surgeries on street animals adopted at the municipal kennel and on cats from colonies”, assures the same note from the Chamber.