Dafty

There was a bit of a flurry a few years back concerning the title subject.
Animal Rights Laws in Portugal were brought into "force", and us animal lovers all jumped for joy.
Sadly however, little seems to have changed, and from the statistics that I have found, the authorities have not been particularly overly zealous in upholding
the new regulations with regard to animal cruelty.
However, I need some advice on the subject and hope someone out there may have some answers.
I live in a fairly isolated ( by Algarve standards !) and densely wooded area, with only a couple of distant Portuguese neighbours.
During the day, there is a fairly steady flow of traffic but it,s very quite at night and at weekends.
Three weeks ago, I heard some commotion from behind my property, about 200 metres away. A JCB digger was clearing away what looks like a future building plot.
Several pine trees were felled during this clearing operation. All the land around me is classed Rustico and without ruins etc, so I,m not all sure whats going on there but that,s a story for another day !
The subject of this post involves the chaining up of a dog on this isolated plot of land,
After hearing constant barking all yesterday morning I had a walk over to the plot in the afternoon, to find the poor animal chained up to a tree stump with no shade and no sign of food or water.
Someone was at the plot this morning and I assume the dog was probably fed and watered as, to be fair, it looks well enough fed and wasn,t starving, just totally bored,stressed, and lonely.
Today, I,ve been searching through various articles concerning animal cruelty but I,ve not found any reference to an actual and specific rule involving a ban on chaining up of dogs.
Can anyone provide a link ?
The other issue is the reporting of the problem.
I am concerned about acts of revenge/retaliation in the event the dogs owner becomes aware of who reported the matter, should I decide to do so.
Is there a proceedure to report this whilst remaining anonomous ? Alternatively, is there some kind of conduit body that can forward a complaint on to the GNR ?
Any input and advice would be greatly appreciated.

wellinever

I am concerned about acts of revenge/retaliation in the event the dogs owner becomes aware of who reported the matter, should I decide to do so.
Is there a proceedure to report this whilst remaining anonomous ? Alternatively, is there some kind of conduit body that can forward a complaint on to the GNR ?
Any input and advice would be greatly appreciated

I have dogs barking all around me at all times of day and night. I phoned local GNR and asked if they would take a drive and just listen to the noise. These dogs are not guard dogs dogs I suppose hey are seen as pets, but not as a Brit would think of, just left all day in a small garden and fed and cleaned out each day never walked, the dogs are all bored **itless I guess, they cant see anything just hear and smell, and therefore bark at anything within 300 mtrs, people, dogs, cats anything.
GNR simply said ....Do they make a noise before 8am and after 11pm...basically not interested if not within those times.
So its OK that you cant hear yourself think during the day.!!!
The police were amicable and I get the impression that they might intervene but think ts a bit like in the UK, they dont really want to get involved and if just one person complaining they take less interest.
WIth you I would be a bit concerned as you are in the country. What is left there that needs a dog on site??
Ah its 8am and the dogs have started this morning with whimpering type barking,,,,,bored to death

coleio

Just contact the (seemingly) many Portuguese doggie rescue places run by Brits for advice.

barlaventoexpert

Why Brits?

There are several in the Algarve run by Portuguese, Dutch and Germans?

I suggest you might try contacting

https://www.facebook.com/cadelacarlota/

They are local and may be able to assist.

If one reads the Portuguese Press, one sees that the #GNR are regularly investigating cases of animal abuse AND taking action about it.

https://www.gnr.pt/ultimahora.aspx?linha=16048

toots sweet

Try finding a local Portuguese animal protection group. I'm sure they will know the laws. Also the local municipal vet will maybe be of help. There must be one locally to you. We have one in our local town in Central PT, so I'm sure there must be many in the Algarve.

Fluffyhead

Barking is these dog's raison d'etre.
My neighbour is on her nth guard dog so we've always been subjected to a lot of barking, mostly at night, and were started to get used to it. This latest one however, she has decided to put at the back of her house (which she doesn't live in) as she lost all of her chickens last year. It's much noisier for us now as there's nothing between her land and ours. This dog (on a chain on a wire) barks incessantly at me when I work on the land so I was quite amused when several weeks ago his bark started loud as usual but he gradually began to lose his voice and ended up sounding like a little dog. It's been going up and down since then but a few nights ago when it was warm and we had the window open I couldn't sleep all night because of his barking even though it wasn't as deep as before. I met the neighbour the next day and she was really concerned as she'd only just noticed that the dog was losing it's bark. I told her that he still barked all night as he kept me awake all night but she wouldn't listen to me, just kept saying that the dog had to bark. She did get rid of a lovely dog once because it didn't bark enough so I guess she's worrying that she'll have to get yet another new one (the previous very scary one dropped dead one day).
I do feel sorry for the various dogs she's had in spite of the barking and at one point a long time ago even she took pity on an old dog she kept on a chain and asked if we'd have her as she knew we weren't happy about it, so we did. I wouldn't have this new one from her though - way too frightening - even the neighbour is fearful of him as he's knocked her over and bitten her at least once that she told me about!

wellinever

The owners of the noisiest dog are both Teachers !!! Out at work all day. Live in the house and indeed can be in the kitchen with the dog barking like hell and they are just a cople of metres away, they must wear ear plugs or why arent they **ssed off with it?
I just cat understand it at all.
I did speak to them a year ago, and they do speak English well, their answer as I read above was....Its a dog and dogs bark !!!
Say no more.

barlaventoexpert

,,,and just in case that folk don't think the GNR isn't interested in the law, this article just in overnight...

https://ionline.sapo.pt/artigo/73123...Portugal_i&n=1

Score76

You can report crimes online here:
https://queixaselectronicas.mai.gov.pt/
It doesn't allow anonymous reports though. I used it last year to report a distant neighbour's dog similarly chained up with no shade and three weeks later it was taken away by GNR.

Dafty

Many thanks to all for the advice.
I,ve tried to contact "petsitting algarve" but not response as yet. They have a fairly comprehensive article on their website that refers to chajned dogs.
That said, I,ve been through all the relevant legislation again, and cannot find anything at all concerning the chaining up of dogs. Cages yes but chains not.
Interestingly, the laws refer to "companion" animals - so does a "guard dog" come under the protection of these laws ?

Score76

It's discussed here too:
https://www.portugalresident.com/chained-dogs/