With the tragic death of the tourist guide of San Pedro de Atacama, Daniela Gamboa, attacked by a pack of stray dogs, still reverberating in the collective consciousness, the initiative of some councilors of the Municipality of Chillán, to promote allocate greater resources from the 2024 budget to strengthen the Municipal Veterinary unit and, especially, the massive pet sterilization campaigns.
A few weeks ago, voices such as those of councilors Rodrigo Ramírez or Ricardo Valdebenito have been adding support, with councilor Brígida Hormazábal, who at the last council meeting, introduced the municipality’s veterinarian, Dennisse Araya, who warned that before the lack of resources for the necessary projects, they had to go and present proposals to the Subdere.
“And if we do not get these resources, next year we will not be able to carry out mass sterilizations,” he warned.
As context, and according to figures from the Herminda Martín Hospital in Chillán, this year there have been 143 admissions due to dog bites, of which 54 have affected minors.
The veterinarian explained that with the resources they currently have, it allows them to intervene on nearly 800 animals with owners and another 200 cats and dogs that live on the street. If we could count on the resources managed by the Subdere, there would be 2,500 services.
But that’s not enough. “In order to have control and avoid unwanted litters, we need to do between 10,000 and 20,000 sterilizations,” he explained.
Individual responsibility
According to the director of Municipal Security, Alejandra Martínez, complaints about problems with aggressive or abused dogs are the second cause of calls, after annoying noises, which are the most repeated.
The mayor, Camilo Benavente, says that “we understand the health risks that this entails and if it is necessary to double the resources, we can do it,” warns the mayor, Camilo Benavente, who, however, adds that “the compliance with the law and ordinances regarding responsible pet ownership, because 80% of the dogs that walk on the street have owners.”
According to law 20,020, it is in the Local Police Court where cases of abandonment, poor care, leaving animals loose and unsupervised, selling pets and even failure to sterilize or provide veterinary care to cats and dogs must be resolved. dogs.
And in the case of mistreatment or training dogs to enhance their aggressiveness, these are crimes that are already prosecuted by the Public Ministry and resolved in the criminal jurisdiction courts.
For councilor Juan Pablo López “it is necessary to know these details that are given to us by the municipal veterinary unit (dependent on the Grooming and Decoration department) to discuss the increase in resources for next year, because without a doubt it is necessary to both increase the inspections of compliance with laws and ordinances, and to increase sterilizations.”
Currently, there are five veterinarians working in these functions for the Chillanejo municipality in controlling the emancipation of stray animals, with or without owners.
In this regard, Rodrigo Ramírez adds that “responsible ownership is part of the educational campaigns that, by law, the municipality is obliged to deliver. The control work, which comes soon, requires more professionals to reach the different corners of the city, sterilizing, installing identification chips, it will help us protect people and animals.”
In case of bite
Finally, from the Chillanejo hospital they explain that in case of a bite, the first step is to wash the wound area with soap and water for at least five minutes.
“If there is bleeding, the affected area should be compressed until it stops, remembering not to use a tourniquet. Then, you must go to the nearest emergency service, where you will be vaccinated against the rabies virus. After that, the patient can receive the subsequent four doses, in offices or hospitals in the public network, as well as in vaccination centers in private clinics throughout the country. the country,” they explain.
The delivery of the doses is free in both the public and private sectors, since it is acquired by the State and distributed to the care network.
