Animal's Protection: a citizenship and environmental consciousness act
Renata
de Freitas Martins
Environmentalist lawyer
The
animals always existed, forming the environment, and besides, a
long before human existence in the Earth, it was already inhabited
by animals, the dinosaurs.
For
this reason that we must pay attention to the animal’s
importance in our life and for environmental conservation, as the
balanced and healthy environment is formed by a whole, from which
we depend on for the maintenance of our life’s quality and for
our own existence and surviving.
Besides,
considering the great importance of the animals in our life, that
Brazilian legislation is carefully dealing with the animal’s
legal protection.
In
1934 it was published the Decree nº 24.645, still valid,
establishing ways to animal’s protection.
The
Brazilian Federal Constitution (1988) also brings the animal’s
protection in its body, article 225, that deals about environment,
and in its §1º, VII it says that it is the State obligation
protecting fauna and flora, and prohibiting the practices that may
cause risks to the ecological function, and that provokes species
extinction or subdues animals to cruelty.
Finally,
in 1998, it was published the Federal Law nº 9.605, the
Environmental Crimes Law, establishing criminal and administrative
penalties for environmental violation, and special distinction to
the article 32, “caput”, that protects all kinds of animals
from abuse, bad-treats, injure and mutilation.
So,
we must emphasize that all animals are sheltered in our
legislation, and any act that causes prejudice to an animal is a
crime, no matter if it is a rare wild animal in extinction or a
stray animal walking through the streets.
Besides,
environmental preservation is a citizenship act and our obligation.
Let’s think about it!
MARTINS, Renata de Freitas. Animal's Protection: a citizenship and environmental consciousness act. www.kasa.org.br . 2003.
