Last Saturday, June 20, the Association for the Defense against Animal Abuse Lanzarote (ADEMAL) was presented. The Board of Directors, elected in assembly, made the presentation through the social network Facebook and explained the objectives that have been set, highlighting that it is the first association of this type that is born on the island
As explained in a statement, the association was founded on June 1 by 15 pro-animal rights activists and has more than 20 members and supporters, who have joined efforts to "work in a legislative framework of animal protection and citizen awareness that places Lanzarote at the forefront of the Canary Islands in the defense of animal rights and guarantees its homogeneous protection in all the municipalities of the island."
Specifically, the board of directors of ADEMAL is composed of Raquel Córdoba Porn as president; Ana Isabel Díaz Cruces and Sara Vela Rey as first and second vice presidents; Jorge Toledo Romero as secretary; and María Ángueles Guiado Moreno as treasurer. María Georgia Robles García, Laura Isabel Barrios Albornoz, María Rosario Naranjo Aguilar, Yvette Hortense Boulanger, Ruth Tersek Olmo, Birgit Wenning and José Carballo Moraga are listed as members.
In this regard, it is highlighted that almost all of its members have a "long history" in animal defense and that many come from animal protection platforms and shelters on the island. The experience provided by its members ranges "from the management, rescue and protection of companion animals" to the "feeding and care of feral colonies", the application of the CES method (capture, sterilization and release) or the defense of hunting dogs and the protest against the traditional celebration of cockfights, it is added.
Main actions
The association affirms that it is born "with the vocation of integrating and collaborating with all those people, entities, protectors, animal protection departments of the seven municipalities that watch over, from the different areas of action, for the rights of animals, as a strengthening element and mutual support in achieving progress in animal protection, as well as achieving the establishment of collaboration with entities at regional level".
ADEMAL intends to grow organically not only with the incorporation of new members, but also with the signing of union protocols with public and private bodies. In this line of work, the association indicates that it has initiated a round of contacts with organizations and people linked to the legal defense of animal defense at national level.
Within its activities, ADEMAL establishes as main actions the processing of complaints in case of mistreatment or non-compliance with the laws and regulations related to the protection of the rights of animals and biodiversity; the realization of information, awareness and sensitization activities; and the inclusion of the association in the elaboration of new municipal regulations related to animal protection.
Likewise, it wants to advise public and private entities in the management of resources for the improvement of animal establishments and shelters and investigate and denounce bad practices in the breeding of animals for profit, the trade of companion animals through advertising and social networks, as well as shows with animals, hunting and sport fishing, zoos and dolphinariums and the conservation of biodiversity on the island.
And, ADEMAL regrets that "although Spain has reached a level of maturity according to the reality of countries in its environment, this has not been the case in the Canary Islands, which is listed as the second autonomous community in abandonment and animal abuse, only preceded by Andalusia".
Joining forces to end "situations of abuse and impunity"
The association points out that "although there are other types of animal associations on our island, such as shelters and shelters with a long and excellent trajectory", "none of them has as its main objective the denunciation against animal abuse, since they dedicate almost all their time and effort to the chapter of adoptions, given the large number of abandonments on the island".
However, from ADEMAL they affirm that they would like to collaborate "with all of them and join forces to achieve a strong link that ends with situations of abuse and impunity". "The Association for the Defense against Animal Abuse in Lanzarote comes to fill that void and wishes to work to force institutions to apply the law and legal responsibilities towards animals", they add.
ADEMAL considers that "it has been this neglect and apathy, both of our rulers and of the local police when it comes to not sanctioning, which has caused these mass abandonments, run over and traffic accidents resulting in the death of people and animals, continued abuse without the seizure of the responsible owners, excesses in the imprudent neglect of hunting dogs, the deterioration of hundreds of animals tied or chained in sight of all, malnourished and with signs of serious veterinary problems".
For all these and other reasons "that have already taken root in an advanced society aware of the animal problem such as Lanzarote", ADEMAL affirms that it is already working with a group of animal rights lawyers and collecting complaints from many residents of the island through the Facebook page "ADEMAL LANZAROTE".
