Maracaibo municipal agency launches cat adoption and sterilization program

The Instituto Municipal para la Protección Animal (IMPA) in Maracaibo, led by president Nohelia Parra, has expanded a program to facilitate the adoption of cats and dogs, provide free sterilization services, and offer veterinary care. Adoption requests are handled through a direct messaging channel, followed by home visits, interviews, and a mandatory medical check at the institute to create a clinical record for each animal. Adoptive families must meet defined requirements and remain under follow‑up monitoring.

The initiative, part of a city‑wide “month of feline adoption,” aims for around ten cat adoptions per month and includes weekly sterilization days for pets of various ages. Parra emphasized that abandoning animals is a punishable offense under Venezuelan law and highlighted a hotspot in the La Limpia peripheral area where roughly 200 stray cats have been reported. The program seeks to curb stray populations through early sterilization and promote responsible pet ownership.