First ladies together for the animal cause

A reference in Brazil for veterinary care, the Jorge Vaitsman Municipal Institute (IJV), in Mangueira, received a visit this Wednesday (27) from the first ladies of the municipality, Sylvia Jane Crivella, and of the state, Helena Witzel, who sought information from the unit's expertise for the implementation of animal care centers in the 92 municipalities of the state. The project is by journalist Karla de Luccas, coordinator of the State Center for Animal Protection of the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainability.

The two first ladies were welcomed by the municipal health secretary, Beatriz Busch, with the undersecretary of health surveillance, Márcia Rolim, the undersecretary of animal welfare, Roberto de Paula, and veterinarian Glauco Mello, director of the IJV. They visited the clinics, the clinical laboratory, the cat shelter, the kennel and the only public animal cemetery in Rio. Judge Suely Lopes Magalhães, from the Court of Justice, protector and defender of the animal cause, also participated in the visit.

With 102 years of existence, Jorge Vaitsman offers the population all veterinary services, from diagnosis of zoonoses (diseases transmitted to humans by animals) to surgeries, castration, vaccination, adoption, cemeteries and even crematoriums. This year, with the hiring of new veterinarians, daily care for dogs and cats increased by 100% (from 50 to 100). The number of castrations also increased: from 14 to 20 per day. With the reinforcement, the unit has ten more vacancies (from 50 to 60) for the treatment of sporotrichosis, with an increase of 200 new appointments per month. Overall, the institute recorded daily growth of approximately 70% last January: from 114 to 180.