O ABANDONO ANIMAL EM SALVADOR E SEUS REFLEXOS ECOLÓGICOS

Abstract

The high number of domestic animals on the streets, due to abandonment, is a worldwide phenomenon that represents a great challenge for Brazilian municipalities. The socio-environmental impacts, resulting from the absence of efficient population control, affect diverse segments such as public health and animal welfare, correlating with related knowledge such as veterinary medicine, environmental education, urban ecology and environmental management. The invasive species’ introduction such as domestic dogs and cats is now recognized as one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, both in natural ecosystems in rural and urban areas, as well as in municipal public parks and university campuses. Salvador city (in Bahia, Brazil) and the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) have faced difficulties to circumvent animal abandonment. Proper management of these species, preventing overpopulation, is at the center of debates in the search for viable alternatives. However, the data related to this problem for the municipality are imprecise and diffuse, making difficult for public authorities to make decisions, generating one-off and discontinuous actions. Aiming to contribute to these efforts, the present work aims to gather information about abandonment in the global context, through a literature review, and to bring complementary data - in addition to those formally available - about the situation of strays in Salvador and within UFBA, based on empirical knowledge of the community involved with the issue. The results generated can encourage more assertive actions for the management of these animals in the studied areas, contributing to the improvement of actions and decision-making for the management of this issue.