On March 15, 2021, Ordinance 030-2021 “Management and protection of urban fauna in the Loja canton” entered into force. In almost two years of validity, more than 700 sanctions have been issued with files carried out; the resources collected have an uncertain destination.
Norma
Alexandra Astudillo Jaramillo, commissioner of the Environment and Mining of the Municipality of Loja, told Diario Crónica that they penalize people who do not make good use of the animals under their responsibility.
“We abide by the ordinance and sanction according to the complaint if it is minor, serious or very serious,” he said.
For example, mild: not vaccinating or deworming pets, not keeping them on the premises, preventing the work of inspectors in a home when a written complaint is made, by electronic means or by ECU 911, leaving dogs inside vehicles or not to collect waste on public roads or parks. Serious: exceeding the number of animals according to the space where they live, not providing them with a physical space, not controlling reproduction, not being responsible for damages caused to third parties, mistreatment that causes injuries, keeping them tied up or supplying them with poisonous or toxic substances.
“In this last case, on Thursday, March 2, we had an alert in the Clodoveo neighborhood, north of the city, next to the soccer field, where a puppy was found that had been sprayed with some substance because its entire face was burned. They investigate those responsible, ”he said.
figures
The municipality’s Environment and Mining Commissioner pointed out that in the two years that the Ordinance has been in force, they have issued more than 700 sanctions with files carried out. “Only so far in 2023, that is, January and February, 70 processes have been started, most of them carried out in the month of February, of which 20 have been completed,” she said.
Resources
He added that the sanction depends on the seriousness of the infraction: a unified basic salary if it is very serious; 75% serious and 50% minor transgressions. Not to mention that they all involve community work.
When asked about the destinations of the money from the fines, the official indicated that all economic sanctions are paid in collections through basic services, although she could not specify if the resources are invested in awareness projects in favor of animals.
no destination
For her part, the councilor of the Loja canton and representative of Cielo Animal, Diana Aguilar Villacres, informed this newspaper that the cultural issue is lacking because the rate of animal abuse in the canton and province of Loja is too high. “We need to work a lot on the level of awareness and education to reduce this problem,” she said.
Regarding the resources collected, he pointed out that “they do not comply with what is established by Ordinance 030-2021, which establishes that all amounts collected for reasons of fines and penalties for animal abuse must be deposited in a single account for the unit of urban fauna, but the values go to the general account, they deviate and do not fulfill the established function”. (YO).
