An estimated 130,000 domestic pets, including 80,000 dogs and 50,000 cats, are abandoned annually in Italy, causing significant ethical, public health, and safety concerns. Actors Ornella Muti, Naike Rivelli, Flavio Insinna, and Massimo Wertmüller have partnered with animal rights organization LEAL to support the national campaign “Fuori il Traditore” (Cast Out the Betrayer).
Muti and Rivelli created a high-impact LEAL advertisement depicting the anguish of an abandoned animal, forcefully reiterating that abandonment constitutes a crime. Insinna presented “Ugolina,” a kitten he rescued from street life, while Wertmüller performed the howl of rage and pain representing all animals condemned to fear, starvation, and death.
The unified message from LEAL and the artists, actively promoting the campaign ahead of August’s peak abandonment period, states: “An evolved and cohesive society condemns crimes; it does not normalize them. We seek to reverse the paradigm of abandonment. Those guilty of these vile acts should be the ones cast to the margins of society, not the victims.”
The campaign aims to combat rampant abandonment, shift public perception of the crime, and promote a culture of respect and responsibility towards animals. It also gives voice to animals abandoned and to people injured in road accidents caused by such acts. It highlights that abandonment is a criminal offense under Italian law, punishable by up to three years imprisonment, fines of €30,000, and driver’s license suspension.
“Fuori il Traditore is a campaign for cultural change,” explained LEAL President Gianmarco Prampolini. “This crime must be condemned by the collective conscience even before the courts. The perception of abandonment as a serious criminal offense has yet to fully take root in our society.”
The national effort actively involves the public, businesses, and commercial establishments by displaying “Access Denied to Criminals” posters in public spaces, shops, and on private vehicles. This serves as a tangible sign of solidarity with victims and a stance against the crime.