Brazilian Senate Approves Comprehensive Animal Protection Policy in Disaster Management
The Brazilian Senate has approved a law to establish a coordinated national policy for rescuing and protecting animals during disasters, integrating federal to municipal efforts and imposing penalties for environmental harm.
- • Brazilian Senate approved Project Law 2950/2019 creating a national animal protection policy in disasters.
- • The policy, named Amar, mandates coordinated action across federal, state, and municipal levels.
- • Rescued animals must be evaluated and treated by veterinarians with rescue teams professionally trained.
- • Penalties are set for those causing environmental disasters harming animals, including detention and fines.
- • The law integrates animal protection into civil defense and environmental policies and requires public transparency of rescue operations.
Key details
On February 26, 2026, the Brazilian Senate approved Project Law 2950/2019, establishing a national policy dedicated to protecting and rescuing animals affected by disasters. This legislation, proposed by Senator Wellington Fagundes and now pending presidential sanction, creates the Política de Acolhimento e Manejo de Animais Resgatados (Amar).
The policy mandates coordinated actions across the federal, state, and municipal levels. The federal government will support risk mapping and disaster research, states will assist municipalities in risk identification and animal protection training, and municipalities must supervise risk area inspections, evacuate animals, and provide emergency shelters. The law aims to reduce mortality rates among domestic and wild animals during emergencies by integrating animal protection into environmental, civil defense, and dam safety policies.
Rescue operations must be carried out by trained teams under professional veterinary supervision, ensuring health evaluations, triage, and rehabilitation. Public authorities are required to reduce animal mortality, and businesses with environmental licensing must implement measures to minimize wildlife impact. The law also establishes penalties—including detention and fines—for those responsible for environmental disasters harming animals, aligning with animal cruelty punishment standards.
This legislation addresses gaps revealed by past disasters such as the 2019 Brumadinho dam collapse and 2024 floods in Rio Grande do Sul, which underscored the need for clear animal rescue protocols.
Senator Plínio Valério highlighted the technical improvements made to ensure clarity and conciseness without compromising the policy’s protective goals. Key records of rescue operations, including the number and health status of animals, must be publicly accessible, promoting transparency and accountability.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
Source articles (2)
Source comparison
Name of the policy
Sources refer to the policy by different names
www12.senado.leg.br
"the policy, named Política de Acolhimento e Manejo de Animais Resgatados (Amar)"
agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br
"creates the Policy for the Reception and Management of Rescued Animals"
Why this matters: One source calls it 'Política de Acolhimento e Manejo de Animais Resgatados (Amar)', while the other refers to it as 'Policy for the Reception and Management of Rescued Animals'. This difference in naming could lead to confusion about the legislation's identity.