Jowelle to take legal action in defence of animals
- Apr 13, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 14, 2023
This animal is featured on Jowelle de Souza's Facebook page
After communications broke down in 2018 with Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Kazim Hosein, animal rights activist, Jowelle De Souza is ready to take the Government to court to enact legislation to protect animals.
It is not an avenue she wants to use, but De Souza says she is prepared to do so to protect the rights of animals.
De Souza says she has a legal team and plans to file a legitimate expectation action against the State.
De Souza said, “We are in 2019, the 21st century, and we still abide by the Summary of Offence Act of 1921, almost 100 years later. It is sad that this the only piece of legislation we have throughout Trinidad and Tobago with regards to animal welfare.”
She says there have been recent reports of abuse, cruelty, and ill-treatment of animals across the country.
“I have visited with fellow animal advocates, the 14 Regional Corporations of Trinidad and Tobago to see how they execute animals. What I witnessed upon visiting these places, was the absolutely horrifying way the animals were sentenced to death,” she said.
De Souza says she noticed on those visits animals were left in unsanitary cages without food and water and were just awaiting a sentence of death.
She said, “It is time that Trinidad and Tobago revises the laws of the land for animal welfare and animal rights. We NGOs were made promises by many governments but till today, the status quo remains.”
Frustrated, depressed and fed up with the inaction by the government as it pertains to animal welfare in the country, De Souza held a press conference at her hair salon in San Fernando yesterday to share what is their next move.
“Animal Welfare in Trinidad and Tobago must be a nationwide effort in collaboration with the NGOs throughout Trinidad and Tobago,” she said.
“We call upon the respective ministers to take charge and assist us with building a new and improved country where all animals are given a right to live in dignity.”
De Souza says she and her team are ready and willing to speak with the Attorney General and his team to help bring the laws forward so it could be passed quickly.
She said, “We also asked the Minister of Local Government to set up a spay and neuter programme where our vets will meet with his vets but that did not happen. All of the NGOs, animal activists, and animal lovers, we all decided to help the minister fight this animal abuse problem. We all decided to go to the different ministries that need the help so we can make this urgent issue come to life.” In a report she presented to media called The Life and Death Sentence Of An Animal, De Souza also called on the Ministry of Agriculture and its minister Clarence Rambharat. Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith and the Ministry of National Security, Chief Justice and Arms of the Judiciary, Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Tourism to assist in the protection of animals in the country. She said, “Animals are not property, they are sentient beings. This means that they have the capacity to have feelings, including pain and pleasure and implies a level of conscious awareness. Recognition of animal sentience is an important step in the protection of animals and is fundamental to ensuring that animals’ welfare needs are met.” De Souza says all she needs is a simple majority in parliament to have the laws pertaining to animal welfare passed.
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