Yeni Berenice: “All animal abuse must be prosecuted.”

The Attorney General of the Republic, Yeni Berenice Reynoso, asserted that the law protects all acts of animal abuse in the country and that anyone who engages in this practice “must be prosecuted.”

“Animal rights need enhanced protection and stewardship,” Reynoso stated during her participation in the panel “Justice for the Voiceless: Challenges and Advances in Animal Protection in the Dominican Republic,” held as part of the first Animal Festival, held at the Pavilion of Nations at the Center of Heroes.

The judge warned that people who routinely abuse animals “have highly questionable social behavior.”

“Cases emerge, and investigations emerge, and when we go to the community and conduct the survey, the communities say that it’s not just animals they abuse, that it’s violent in society, that it’s violent in the community, that it’s violent within couples, that it’s violent in the social environments in which they share,” she noted.

Reynoso emphasized that these individuals must be “worked on, but also pursued,” and noted that the Public Ministry has been instructed to prosecute all cases of animal abuse to foster a culture of respect and sensitivity toward living beings.

“Incredibly, there are people who say, ‘And there is a law? I don’t know it.’ But there’s bad news for them: there is a legal principle that says every law is deemed to be known,” the attorney general added.

The law and its enforcement

Reynoso explained that, according to the legal system, after 24 hours in the National District and 48 hours in the rest of the country, no one can claim ignorance of the animal abuse law.

“The best security and protection we can offer as a State for the protection of animal rights is prevention,” she stated, urging the population to educate a society based on respect.

The Attorney General announced that the Public Ministry School is training 100 lawyers to represent vulnerable victims, including those of animal abuse.

“Having this team of 100 lawyers also assisting in the 35 judicial districts in the Dominican Republic is a way for society to understand that animals should not be abused,” she said.

The attorney general also reported that the Public Ministry performs autopsies on animals in cases where the coroner deems it necessary and called on legislators to reform the law to reconsider the penalties.

After the rescue

Reynoso explained that one of the main challenges after rescuing abused animals is determining where they will be taken, due to the lack of adequate spaces for their recovery and care.

Types of abuse

The prosecutor defined abuse as not feeding, beating, or keeping animals in spaces where they are not free.

“From understanding that he’s a security guard, that he doesn’t eat, that he has no needs, that he can be in the sun or water without any protection. All of this is abuse,” Reynoso concluded.