According to Euro News, Belgium has recently put a radical new law in place, requiring that nearly all of the nation’s 2-million cats be sterilized.
When you first hear about it, it sounds horrific; however, contrary to popular belief, Belgium officials claim the plan is a solution to the nation’s overwhelming amount of stray and homeless cats. According to reports, nearly 30,000 cats are abandoned in Belgium every year— with about half (15,000) being put down as a result of crowded shelters.
Lauren, a caretaker at Veewyde Animal Refuge in Anderlecht, says, “In the summertime when the cats are in heat, we will receive up to a dozen cats on a given day.”
“It stretches up thin, and we really hope that the new rules will bear some fruit.”
A quick Google search reveals the Belgium government has been discussing the sterilization of cats since 2010. At that time, Jan Eyckmans of the Belgian health ministry stated, “We are confronted with a dramatic situation. So our minister asked the animal welfare council to come up with ideas. ”
Now, eight years later, the Belgian government is requiring that all older cats be sterilized, while newborn kittens will now have to be sterilized before 6 months of age. Additionally, any cats staying in the country for more than 30 days will have to be sterilized, as well. It’s unclear how the Belgian government plans to police their new policy, however, it will likely involve the use of a micro-chipping database.
Interestingly, sterilization has been supported by a number of animal activist groups that claim it is the only way to balance shelter arrivals and adoptions. Ann DeGreef, an activist with Gaia, an organization dedicated to animal lobbying, states: “We had a hard time getting everyone on board, as we heard so many counterarguments.”
“For example, it would be wrong to ask a poor old woman with five cats to spend 600 euros ($735 USD) on sterilization, or that the feline population will disappear if everyone follows the measures.”
“While it could take five to ten years to see genuine change, it’s the only way to reduce the burden on shelters. You can ask people to do sterilization as many times as you want, but as long as there is no legal obligation, they don’t do it.”
There seems to be a lot of disagreement over whether this policy will be successful. Back in 2010, when the plans were originally revealed, many expressed their doubts to The Guardian:
“Not a good idea. It won’t be easy. They’ll never be able to sterilize all the cats.”
“Pet owners will rebel and refuse to do it,” said another. “And this wouldn’t be Belgium if people did not find a back door.”
Do you think required sterilization is the right answer to Belgium’s cat population problems? Let us know in the comments.
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