The Dog Vaccination Project, promoted by Samarco, has already vaccinated 51,523 dogs in campaigns carried out until February this year. The action covers 39 municipalities close to the territories that have Samarco units, such as Mariana, Ouro Preto, Catas Altas and Santa Bárbara, as well as others along the Rio Doce, which were impacted by the Fundão dam failure. All have already received at least one stage of the vaccination schedule. The action is carried out in partnership with the NGO Ajuda. The next mobilization will be held from this Wednesday (9/2), until next Saturday (12/02), in Ipatinga, in Vale do Aço.

Samarco's Environment analyst, Ana Paula Correa, points out the good results of the project that aims to keep the dog's vaccination schedule up to date and protect the animal from infectious diseases. “The numbers are satisfactory, considering that the project started in June 2021,” she said. The expectation, until the end of the project, is to complete the vaccination of 100,000 dogs.

The doses were purchased by Samarco. The company is also responsible for the cost of consumables, specialized labor, infrastructure to receive the animals and their owners, in addition to providing transportation vehicles.

The initiative is one of the preconditions outlined in the Corrective Operation License (LOC) granted to the company, to the resumption of operations that took place in December 2020.

Vaccination in Ouro Preto

Between the 2nd and 5th of February, vaccination was provided again in Ouro Preto, with more than 3,100 dogs immunized in the four campaigns carried out in the municipality. The animals received a dose of the V8 vaccine, which protects against six types of disease (canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, parvovirus, coronavirus, canine parainfluenza and leptospirosis), and is given to prevent diseases that can be fatal. As part of the service, a clinical evaluation of the dog and complete physical exams are also carried out.