The Secretary for Parliamentary and Community Affairs, Paulo Estêvão, reported that an incident report was filed by the Maritime Police, which is the competent authority in such matters, and forwarded to the Angra do Heroísmo municipality for further necessary procedures.
On July 1, the PAN/Azores revealed it had received multiple complaints from locals who were outraged by the drowning of a fighting bull during a rope bullfight held at the pier in the parish of Porto Judeu, Angra do Heroísmo, on the evening of June 30, 2025.
Pedro Neves, the sole PAN deputy in the Azorean parliament, asked the Azorean government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) if an investigation had been launched regarding the incident during the rope bullfight in Porto Judeu and if any penalties were planned for the organizers of the event.
A bull drowned on Monday after falling into the sea during a rope bullfight in Porto Judeu, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, according to information released today by PAN.
In the response reviewed today by Lusa, the Secretary for Parliamentary and Community Affairs clarified that a regulatory violation process was initiated on this matter and, due to its complexity and the number of individuals involved, it is still under investigation.
PAN also questioned the Regional Government about possible penalties for those responsible for organizing the event, with the executive indicating that the Agriculture and Food Secretariat only has authority over animal health and welfare matters.
Additionally, the Regional Government reported that since May 2024, eight individuals have been admitted to the Graciosa Island Health Unit with injuries from participating in such events, and a total of 42 people at the Hospital of Santo Espírito on Terceira Island.
The Azorean government assured that the SOS Animal platform is “fully operational, with no reported issues.”
In the same response, the Secretary for Parliamentary and Community Affairs noted that the analysis of complaints registered on the platform currently falls under the Regional Animal Ombudsman, pursuant to Regional Legislative Decree No. 20/2021/A of June 29, which established the Regional Animal Ombudsman position.
Access to the platform is available at https://sosanimais.azores.gov.pt/ and allows any citizen to file a report, selecting a location and choosing an option for “found animal,” “injured animal,” “lost animal,” or “other,” with the ability to detail the occurrence and upload images.
The position of Regional Animal Ombudsman is currently held by Dagmar Weisz Sampaio, elected by more than two-thirds of the deputies in the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
Questioned by Lusa on July 1, the Vice-President of the Angra do Heroísmo Chamber, Guido Teles, stated he had “limited information about what occurred,” but reminded that “it is customary to have an inspector present at each bullfight,” events that need municipal authorization.
