“Gabriel is the one in charge and with whom we have been working for years. He has an important career, first from Zoonosis and now in the Animal Welfare Office. We complement each other, and we both manage the office together,” Jaime explained to EL ECO.
The main task of the Office is to respond to the various problems that involve pets—mainly dogs and cats—in the department. This includes attention to complaints, educational campaigns in schools, coordination with municipalities and, especially, the reactivation of the free castration system.
One of the immediate challenges for Jaime is to restructure the castration system. “We are in a moment of transition. The previous agreements between the INBA (National Institute of Animal Welfare), the Ministry of Livestock and the Municipalities fell with the change of authorities, and that leaves us without a specific budget.”
Currently, the few castration days that are being carried out “are financed directly by the Municipality of Colonia. Spaces are very limited and we prioritize the most conflictive areas of the department, such as Juan Lacaze, Carmelo and now also Nueva Palmira, where we had a day this week.”
Regarding the possibility of resuming cat neutering, Jaime stated that it remains a priority, but that it will depend on obtaining funds. “Uncontrolled feline colonies represent a public health problem in places like Conchi-llas and Nueva Helvecia. They are animals without a responsible guardian, and the situation becomes unsustainable,” he said.
The Animal Welfare Office works in coordination with the national INBA, following Law 18,471 on responsible ownership. “We can resolve some complaints from the office, but many others require coordination with the institute,” he noted.
In addition to tasks at the departmental level, Jaime and Fontana represent Colonia in national meetings, such as the Congress of Mayors meetings. “We are in permanent exchange, because national regulations require this joint work.”
Asked how she would summarize the function of the office, Rosana Jaime was clear: “Our task is to address all the problems linked to the ownership of pets in the department. Mainly dogs and cats. There are other issues with non-domestic animals, but that is worked on in other ways.”
