Versione italiana.

Dear Dr. Angelo Penna,
General Director of the ASL* Novara,
we would like to bring to your attention a seriously distressing situation for which your veterinary services are responsible.

Last August, the veterinary services of the ASL of Novara visited Gabriele's home in Castelletto Sopra Ticino. He was accused of adopting Tina (born to a Vietnamese / pot-bellied mother pig and a wild boar father) when she was only a few days old, of nursing her and raising her with his dogs and son as a member of his family.

In August 2022, the veterinary services identified Tina by placing an ear tag on her, subjected her to diagnostic tests for MUS - AUT - ASF (African Swine Fever) - PSC, and prescribed some biosecurity measures, which Gabriele immediately adopted.

In January 2023, the same services returned to Gabriele's home and, finding a lack of double fencing, which was not required during the previous check and, without giving him time to implement it, they handed him a slaughter order.

When Gabriele went to the Arona offices, the veterinary services refused to give him a copy of the test result showing Tina's negative ASF status. Tina is healthy, and our territory is not in the ASF red zone.

The Ministry of Health had already explained in detail, in the clarification to the Prot.1195 Management Device of January 18, 2022, that pigs living with private individuals for purposes other than zootechnical use and food production are excluded from culling measures to prevent the spread of ASF, even if the area is in the red zone.

We have instructed lawyer Angelita Caruocciolo to file an appeal with the TAR** (Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale) for an immediate suspension of the order, but we are hoping for your intervention to achieve a sensible resolution that will annul the death sentence hanging over Tina.

* The ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale) is a local health authority in Italy that provides a range of public health services to residents within its designated territory. The veterinary services of the ASL are responsible for ensuring the health and welfare of animals within the designated territory.

** The TAR (Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale) in Italy is a specialized administrative court that handles disputes between citizens and public administration. The court has jurisdiction over a range of matters related to administrative law, such as disputes related to permits, licenses, and public contracts. The TAR is responsible for ensuring that public administration decisions are made in accordance with the law and that citizens are protected from arbitrary or unjust actions by public officials.