On Friday, May 24, 2024, a meeting took place with various stakeholders to address the welfare of our animals and to discuss the upcoming changes in management and regulations by the CDC in the United States, which will take effect at the beginning of August.
All attendees received a presentation on the new management plan “Animal Welfare Management Aruba,” which envisions improving animal welfare and creating a more compassionate Aruba for them.
Meanwhile, developments in the United States indicate that starting from the beginning of August, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) will introduce a new management plan for the admission of dogs.
The new plan stipulates that all dogs entering the United States must be:
- At least 6 months old
- Have all vaccinations, including rabies
- Must be microchipped
This means that the estimated 2000 puppies will not be able to go to the United States until they reach 6 months of age after the beginning of August. This outcome will be negative for Aruba if no action is taken now.
Considering the anticipated accelerated growth of the dog population, which is already being managed, it is predicted that many of these dogs may be abandoned around Aruba.
To prevent this situation from escalating, stakeholders have met to devise a plan of action to mitigate this impact, with the goal of improving animal welfare in Aruba.
The plan involves continued collaboration between the Ministry, foundations, and other stakeholders. Together, they will execute sterilization and castration campaigns in various neighborhoods starting in June. Microchipping will also take place during these campaigns. Additionally, there will be campaigns to bring awareness to this topic for this important period.
In the coming weeks, various activities will be held by the foundations. In June, the first sterilization campaign will begin in the neighborhoods that need it most.
For more information about these campaigns, you can contact the foundations or the CCC (Dog Control Center) via their Facebook page.
Aruba’s Animal Welfare Law (Landsverordening Dierenwelzijn) is in its initial stage, and the government is prioritizing this so that the law can be passed this year.
This is just the beginning of many other activities aimed at improving the welfare of our animals in Aruba and creating a more conscientious environment for our animals.
