Eurogroup for Animals has launched the campaign “Protect our Pets” against the illegal trade of pet animals. “Rendiamo l’invisibile visibile” is the Italian version of the campaign motto Making the invisible visible which LAV, the coalition's Italian partner, strongly supports, urging all Italian citizens to sign the petition, on line on www.protectourpets.eu, to call on our MPs to take action by approving an identification and registration system of pet animals common to all Member States.
Unfortunately, Italy is a destination country for this illegal trade, with animals coming mainly from Eastern Europe. LAV had first raised the alarm in 2001, followed in 2008 by the campaign “Rompiamo le scatole ai trafficanti di cuccioli” (let’s vex pet traffickers), which led to the approval in 2010 of law 201/2010, the first piece of legislation in Europe to ever criminalise illegal trafficking of pet animals.
This law has made it possible, over the years, to make several arrests and sequestrations. Unfortunately they are still only a drop in the ocean of a multi-million Euros business. A true organised crime organisation on a vast scale that must be eradicated. This can only be achieved through an identification and registration system common to all the Member States of the European Union.
In addition to asking citizens to sign the petition on www.protectourpets.eu, we would like to remind you that nearly two hundred thousand dogs live in dog shelters in Italy and that the number of cats without a family is much higher. We therefore invite all those who truly love animals to adopt not buy their best friend.