A few months ago I adopted a cat, very sweet, as tremendous as he is affectionate. I found him while walking my dog. He looked so calm that it seemed strange to me, because if a cat sees my dog, the least it should do is move away or stand up, but this one just stayed there as if he had fainted.
It hurt me a lot; he had a wound. I picked him up and took him straight to the vet. The vet suspected a bite or attack. He recovered, and I chose to keep him. But having a cat is nothing like having a dog…
Pancho, as I named him, doesn't need walks; he's a real walker, and besides, he won't let me—I've already tried. As long as he can stay up high, he will. I see it every day. He sleeps on top of the refrigerator, the cabinets—he's quite a character.
My dog uses his bed and never tries to escape. Pancho doesn't just try to escape, he actually does. I've received several messages in the condo group chat, and even though it might seem like I'm being negligent, I can't figure out how much more fencing to put up, because the clever dog keeps getting away.
What worries me most is that they told me they're going to put out poison; they threatened to kill him. I explained to them that they shouldn't do that, even though they claim it's because of the rats. The neighbor threatened to do it because he doesn't want to see my cat, or any other cat around, because they can't get rid of the rats, so he'll get rid of both: cats and rats.
I always close the windows before leaving (even though I have a screen that he's already broken a couple of times). It's unbelievable. Thor, my dog, can be mischievous, but he doesn't break screens, open doors, or windows; he's an angel. Pancho, on the other hand, is a handful, and it's his will, not mine, even though I try.
Very concerned about this situation, I started investigating and found out that it's not legal to just blithely spread poison simply because someone wanted to buy it and thinks they can do whatever they want with it. No, it doesn't work that way. I understand that there is legislation governing the handling of hazardous substances like poison.
And I was glad to know I had enough arguments to stop that massacre, because it wouldn't just be Pancho; there are other cats downstairs, and it's not fair to harm them. I spoke with a neighbor, and she was a great help.
We managed to stop it, at least for a while, and if they want to get rid of the rats, we must start by improving solid waste disposal, hygiene, and hiring a properly registered company with all the paperwork and permits up to date.
Regarding Pancho, I'm still struggling with the netting, putting up tubes to prevent him from opening the window, and I've even kept him locked in my room. We're going to neuter him soon; the vet told me that after the neutering, things would improve, so since he's old enough, we'll do it, and those urges to go out will decrease. I hope so.
Why is it NOT legal to spread poison in common areas?
The legal framework of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela expressly prohibits this type of conduct for the following reasons: Violation of the purpose of the law: The use, handling and disposal of hazardous substances is rigorously regulated with the sole purpose of protecting the health of people and the environment.
Spreading poison in a building directly violates this principle. Prohibition of uncontrolled discharges: Article 6 of the law explicitly prohibits the discharge of any hazardous substance or waste into the soil, subsoil, bodies of water, or air in contravention of technical regulations.
Releasing poison in an enclosed or residential space constitutes an illegal discharge into the air and surfaces of the property.
Lack of required permits and registrations: Article 11 stipulates that any person who uses or handles hazardous substances must strictly comply with the law.
Furthermore, Article 65 requires that any activity involving the use or handling of these substances have a prior registration in the Register of Activities Susceptible to Degrading the Environment of the Ministry with environmental competence.
Any individual or unauthorized company handling poisons is acting outside the law. Obligation of safe use: Article 13 (paragraph 1) obliges those responsible for handling these substances to use them exclusively "in a safe manner in order to prevent harm to health and the environment."
Throwing poison into a building is a deliberate act that seeks or risks causing harm.
There are consequences for doing so (criminal and civil penalties).
Venezuelan law provides for extremely severe punitive consequences for both individuals and legal representatives of companies who act in this way:
- prison sentencesArticle 82 (paragraph 1) establishes that those persons who generate, use or handle substances, materials or waste classified as hazardous, causing risks to health and the environment will be punished with imprisonment of four (4) to six (6) years.
- High finesIn addition to imprisonment, the same article imposes fines ranging from four thousand tax units (4.000 UT) to six thousand tax units (6.000 UT).
- Penalties for lack of registration: If they also do so without being registered with the authorities, Article 78 entails proportional arrest and additional fines of 50 to 100 UT, along with the immediate closure of any facility involved.
- Civil Liability (costs of damages)Those who cause a situation of danger or poisoning are obliged by Article 13 (paragraph 6) to assume the full costs of any damage that may occur, including medical diagnoses and investigations to quantify the damage caused by the incident.
- Application of the Environmental Criminal Law: Article 85 reminds us that all these actions are processed under the statutes of the Environmental Criminal Law, which means that the intentional dumping of poisons in public or residential areas is formally treated as an environmental crime and against public health.
The Law for the Protection of Domestic Animals in Free Range and in Captivity also establishes penalties for animal abuse.
Law on Hazardous Substances, Materials and Waste.
Law for the Protection of Domestic Animals, Free and in Captivity
