Volunteers working at the council’s kennels in Lagos claim that animals held there are being regularly mistreated and neglected.
One of the volunteers, Matilde Ramos, said the mistreatment and lack of assistance given to an animal hit by a vehicle earlier this month prompted complaints to the police and to the Lagos Public Prosecution against the municipal vet.
"The vet would do nothing to help the animal and we had to take it to a veterinary clinic to be seen," said the volunteer, adding that the "situation was quite incomprehensible."
Ramos also said that the lack of care for the animals in the Lagos shelter is a recurring theme with allegations of poor hygiene and even of physical violence against the animals.
Hygiene seems to be a problem. Ramos said "I also found an open freezer where dead animals are placed, which was giving off a nauseating smell." The volunteer took photos which will be looked at by the authorities.
Matilde Ramos said that one volunteer, one who actually had funded improvement works at the kennel, complained about animal treatment standards and now is banned from the premises, "by order of the vet."
The volunteers say they have reported the situation many times, both in meetings and in the Municipal Assembly but accuse the council of "doing nothing."
"All that we want is that the animals are treated with dignity."
In turn, Lagos councillor Paulo Jorge Reis who is in charge of the kennel service, told news agency Lusa that he did not know if any legal claim had been made against the council or against on the kennel management, adding that he "will investigate the veracity of these claims and those responsible will be held accountable. "
The councillor said also that he was aware of alleged abnormal situations reported by two volunteers, but an earlier internal audit had "not found anything unusual."
"We have been aware and have spoken with the municipal veterinarian, but according to the information provided by the veterinarian service, there are no situations that jeopardise the operation," said Reis.
