ENPA leads nationwide anti‑abandonment campaign across Italy

The municipality of Bologna launched a public‑awareness drive titled “Non siamo un gioco” to curb animal abandonment. Posters depicting cut‑out dogs, cats and rabbits are being displayed across the city, reminding residents that pets are living beings, not objects, and providing phone numbers for reporting stray animals.

In Monza, ENPA organised an “anti‑abandonment day” on 5 July at the Parco Canile. The event offered free microchipping for dogs and cats – a legal requirement in Lombardy – and allowed the public to visit the shelter and learn about its work. Microchipping helps register animals in the national registry and facilitates reunification with owners.

Nationally, ENPA’s campaign “Non buttarlo. Non è un rifiuto” runs from 8 June to 29 August, with more than 100 events in 14 regions. The organisation reported rescuing 25 081 dogs in 2025, a 50.7 % increase over the previous year, highlighting the growing scale of abandonment. The slogan stresses that abandoning an animal is a crime and urges responsible adoption and reporting.