FEDDA, ​​Omar Fernández and Listín Diario will promote “Crusade for Animals” in the National Congress

The Dominican Federation for Animal Rights (FEDDA), together with Senator Omar Fernández and the newspaper Listín Diario, announced the launch of the campaign “Crusade for Animals,” a national day of legislative advocacy to be held at the National Congress.

The initiative seeks to promote the modification and strengthening of Law 248-12 on Animal Protection and Responsible Ownership.

The proposal seeks to initiate a legislative discussion process to update the legal framework to combat animal abuse and promote public policies that strengthen animal protection in the Dominican Republic.

The initiative was announced this Thursday during the celebration of FEDDA ‘s third anniversary, an event that also launched the national campaign ” Report Animal Abuse,” aimed at promoting responsible reporting of cases of abuse, neglect, and violence against animals throughout the country.

The activity was led by the president of FEDDA , ​​Lorenny Solano ; Senator Omar Fernández , and the director of Listín Diario , Miguel Franjul .

The campaign seeks to raise public awareness, strengthen the enforcement of current legislation, and foster greater social awareness of the importance of protecting animals, thereby promoting the active participation of the population in reporting acts of mistreatment.

During the event, Senator Omar Fernández explained that the reform of animal protection legislation has been underway for several years.

“This bill was introduced in 2021, and although all legislators have agreed on the need to reform animal protection legislation, the process has taken longer than expected due to bureaucratic delays. We hope that in this legislative session we can finally move forward and achieve its approval,” he said.

The legislator noted that there is currently a greater level of public awareness of the need to combat animal abuse and highlighted the importance of institutional mechanisms to monitor these cases.

I will be the happiest person the day that, when a case of animal abuse or cruelty occurs, we know exactly which authority should act, who will follow up on the case, and who will go after the abuser,” he stated.

To be present

“We need to be present in the National Congress so that we can all make it clear that this is a commitment already made and that sometimes there are procedures that are delayed,” said the director of Listín Diario.

He added that society is aware and that the time has come for Congress to approve this law, being mindful of animal protection and their rights.

“The time has come for Congress to listen to these demands and make them a reality,” Franjul said, addressing those present.

FEDDA promotes structural changes

During the event, the president of FEDDA highlighted that the organization has established itself as a national hub for animal rights advocates.

Solano explained that the organization’s focus is not on directly rescuing animals, but on promoting structural changes that will strengthen the animal rights movement in the country.

“Our mission is to promote public policies that guarantee real protection for animals, strengthen rescuers, and build a more conscious, empathetic, and responsible society,” he stated.

She also indicated that the organization seeks to influence public institutions to develop policies that support rescuers’ work.

“FEDDA manages to ensure that the pieces move correctly so that rescuers and animal rights activists can help the animals,” he said.

Solano also raised the need for the State to include specific resources for animal protection.

“We want the national budget to include a fund for animal protection,” he said.

The animal rights leader also argued that, historically, the issue has not been treated as a priority in public policy.

“For the Dominican State , and for no State, the issue of animals is a priority,” he stated.

Among the initiatives promoted by the organization, he also mentioned efforts to remove horse-drawn carriages from tourist areas.

“We want the coachmen removed from the Santiago Monument,” he said, referring to actions they are seeking to promote together with the Santiago City Hall.

Conference and public policy proposals

As part of the event program, economist and academic Juan Ariel Jiménez delivered a virtual lecture from Harvard University on the social and economic challenges associated with animal rescue and the need to build sustainable models to support rescuers’ work.

During the meeting, the FEDDA Vision 2026–2030 was also presented, a set of proposals aimed at strengthening public policies for animal protection and expanding collaboration with state institutions.

Also participating in the event was Rosanna Arias, director of the Division of Enabling and Management of Non-Profit Associations of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, who explained the processes that allow organizations to formalize themselves and qualify for state subsidies.

Additionally, a proposal submitted to the National Disability Council was announced to include formal recognition of service animals that assist people with disabilities.

The campaign has the institutional support of Listín Diario, led by Miguel Franjul, as well as the Public Prosecutor’s Office and various civil society organizations focused on animal defense.