Panorama de denúncias e resgates de equídeos no Cariri cearense

Abstract

The study aimed to analyze the panorama of reports of mistreatment and the rescue of equids in the Cariri region of Ceará. This is a retrospective documentary study with a quantitative approach, based on secondary data obtained from the Environmental Police Battalion (BPMA), the Metropolitan Environmental Group (GAM), and an equid shelter. Reports registered between 2023 and 2025 and rescues carried out between 2016 and 2025 were analyzed. The data were organized in Excel spreadsheets and subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, including absolute and relative frequencies, as well as temporal and spatial distribution of occurrences. A total of 121 reports were recorded by GAM in Juazeiro do Norte between 2023 and 2025, of which only 3 resulted in referral to the police station. The BPMA recorded 5 reports in the same period in the Cariri region, with no legal proceedings initiated. Regarding rescues, 20 cases were recorded between 2016 and 2025, predominantly in Juazeiro do Norte, with higher concentration in recent years, especially in 2025 and 2024. Among the analyzed cases, only one resulted in legal accountability with the application of a penalty to the responsible individual. The results reveal a mismatch between the number of reports and the effectiveness of rescue actions and legal accountability, indicating structural and institutional limitations. In this context, there is a need to strengthen integrated actions among environmental agencies, law enforcement, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as to establish an Environmental Protection Police Station in the region. Furthermore, it is essential to expand the network of shelters for rescued animals and to invest in preventive public policies, particularly through education on responsible ownership and the promotion of animal welfare.