An expert in animal law, he transformed his passion into a profession, dedicating a book to his father, who, ironically, was afraid of dogs…
Civil lawyer since 1999, for several years he has mainly dedicated himself to issues relating to the law and protection of animal welfare. Guest of television and radio programs and author of several articles on the subject, he is a member of the Animal Rights Commission at the Council of the Milan Bar Association.
He is Philip Portuguesepillar of animal welfare, especially Milanese.
Filippo, how did this specialization come about?
“At the beginning I dealt with divorces, I had a strong empathy for the minor children who suffered separations: I saw the end of marriage as something very sad, and I practiced a lot of family law. After more than 25 years of profession, I realized that the disputed children have been added, if not completely replaced, by the disputed animals. One of the biggest problems in the end of a relationship, in fact, is the dispute over the pet.
Probably, for me, the transition was natural; actually I couldn’t even say how it started. I have always had and loved dogs immensely, and looking back now, I don’t think I could have done anything else.”
Well, in reality we can say that you have always loved them, but only after meeting and marrying your wife Sabrina, a splendid woman and person, did you finally manage to have them
Exactly, it is Sabrina, whom I met at the University, after having won the place next to hers, challenging another latecomer like me, who gave me the dream of Life. With Sabrina it was immediately love, and despite two still small children, we decided to bring a wonderful Golden into the family who gave us thirteen splendid years, managing to conquer even the most difficult of the suspicious, my father Giuseppe.”
To whom you dedicated a book, “My father was afraid of dogs”
“I wanted to talk about my father, about my particular relationship with him. A splendid person, but characterized by that shyness typical of his times, which prevented us from speaking as we would have liked.”
In the book you write: “After his death, when his name day falls, I call him, but where he is now there is no field.” An ironic but very sweet phrase that expresses all the intensity – albeit apparently restrained – of your relationship. How did you experience this profession of yours?
At the beginning of my journey he asked – in secret – my brother if I could support myself and my family, because as a professor from another era, he saw this profession as something really strange.”
Is there legislation today for pets?
“In reality there isn’t one yet, and unfortunately they are considered to be the same as goods, like a mobile phone or a car could be, even if it is a matter that is becoming increasingly important. There are many issues that concern animals: condominium disputes, family disputes, veterinary malpractice, the world of organized crime, kennels and everything that revolves around them.
We must admit that there is still crazy dog ignorance. Too many people let them off the leash. Warning: leaving the dog off the leash in a suitable area is more than legitimate and is an excellent thing for both the owner and the dog, but leaving it free in the city where there are busy streets, mopeds, scooters, other animals and a thousand other potential dangers is certainly not the correct action to take. People should know what they are incurring if the banal rules are not followed. There is an article in the civil code that states that anyone who has an animal is responsible for it. There are undoubtedly dogs that are more dangerous than others, by nature, mainly by their experience, and this must be taken into consideration when taking them to public places. And it can’t be the dog’s fault.”
Do you receive many requests?
“So many, I’m overwhelmed. But it’s a beautiful job; I feel a bit like a pediatrician: animals need to be protected. I take care of pets, who really need someone to take care of them, because they rely on us blindly. A very frequent problem occurs when relationships end. Who does the dog go with?”
A little and a little?
“It depends, and above all maybe! It would be an enlightened interpretation. Many judges ask you who the dog is registered to in the canine registry, no more, no less than when they ask you if the car is registered to you or your partner. I would like those judges who think in this way, to listen to a person who, from one day to the next, is denied that wonderful relationship that lasted perhaps six, seven or eight years, not considering, among other things, the great damage done to the animal.”
Prima Life, to which Bea was added, rescued from a prison in Caserta. Now Maya, arrived from a land you love deeply: Sardinia
“More precisely from the “Refuge of the younger brothers”, the kennel in Olbia, managed by Cosetta Prontu. If for Life, our first Golden, we entrusted ourselves to an expert breeder, after her I no longer had any doubts about where to go to meet a new four-legged friend. Cosetta has created an example to imitate: a place of suffering, yes, but which can offer hope and rebirth.”
A certain dog-loving ignorance that unfortunately hovers nowadays is due to an often zero knowledge of the animal. We follow fashions, we buy “modified” and scaled-down dogs for the sole pleasure of humans, without thinking about the consequences we are facing. It would be enough to enter a kennel or cattery (which from personal experience I know is not very simple), look at those eyes full of fear and hope, and decide to give them a new life, that life worth living that they deserve.
