The platform for Brazil’s National Pet Register is now in its final testing phase and should soon be up and running so that owners can register their pets and issue their animal ID card free of charge.
Animal rescue organizations and city councils will also be able to register the animals under their responsibility and issue identification cards, which will include a QR code. This code can be attached to the animal’s collar, allowing anyone to locate the guardian using a cell phone.
A law passed in November by Congress and recently sanctioned by Brazilian President Lula authorized the creation of the registry. The system will gather information on owners and pets to facilitate disease control and the fight against abandonment and mistreatment of animals. The measure should also make buying and selling transactions safer.
According to the new law, the register must contain the owner’s identity, taxpayer number and address, as well as data on the origin and characteristics of the animals: breed, sex, real or presumed age, vaccinations administered and diseases contracted or being treated, in addition to the place where the animal is kept. It will be the guardians’ duty to report the sale, donation or death of the pet, indicating the cause.
If the animal wears a subcutaneous microchip identifying it, the device can be included in the register. “Except in cases where the procedure is funded by the federal government, microchipping is not compulsory. However, it is recommended as a way of increasing animal safety and control,” the Environment Ministry stated.
Public policies
The registration of animals will be carried out primarily by the owners, but NGOs and city authorities will be able to register animals in their care, including those in shelters, kennels, disease control centers, or on the streets. When these animals are adopted, the system will update their guardianship details.
In addition, the ministry went on, cities and states that join the system will have access to a specific section where they can read regional statistics. “This information is essential for the management of local programs for protection as well as ethical population management of dogs and cats, including measures such as vaccination, castration, and microchipping and adoption campaigns,” said the ministry.
Animals used in agricultural production, for products or services, will not need to be registered. The law only deals with animals intended for companionship or kept as pets.
Taxing
Following the approval of the bill in the Senate, speculation arose about the possibility of creating a tax to be paid by those who own pets, as happens in other countries, like Germany. The new law, however, does not stipulate the payment of any kind of tax.
“In Brazil, the goal is to improve management and action planning, without imposing sanctions or charges. Public access to data will be limited to what is necessary to support public policies, with a guarantee of privacy and protection of personal data,” the federal government said in a statement.
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