Ziro and Mike spent their whole lives in happy homes. For both of them, water, food and having their owners nearby was all they needed. Each lived alone with their now elderly owner. They were one another's only company. They did not know each other, did not walk the same streets, but at the end of their lives they shared the same home: SOS Animal's. In both cases, the owners left no document indicating what should happen to their friends; most likely they did not realise they could. Their future was therefore decided by a relative who chose to leave them on the street.
Ziro wandered the streets of Setúbal, was run over and beaten, and was left with serious injuries to his mouth. Mike was a ticking time bomb: a heart disease dictated his daily life and, despite the best efforts of the neighbours, friends of his owner, they could not help him in the way he needed. He stayed at SOS Animal until he died. Ziro is still at the association, waiting to be adopted.
Abandoning an animal in Portugal is a crime and has been punishable by law since 2014 with a prison sentence of up to six months or a fine of up to 60 days (source in Portuguese), but it is not always possible to see justice done. Sandra Duarte Cardoso, a veterinary surgeon and president of SOS Animal (source in Portuguese), has been fighting numerous battles in the name of animal protection and welfare.
