Around twenty people demonstrated on Sunday, December 4 at 10:00 a.m. in front of the Teguise Town Hall to demand improvements to the municipal dog pound. The gathering was convened by volunteers and supporters of the Lanzarote dog pounds.
The citizens who voluntarily lend a hand in the management of the dog pound explained that a few weeks ago they again "requested the Department of Animal Welfare, in charge of managing this infrastructure, to fulfill its promises" because they have been "unable to take the dogs out for more than 40 days due to the delay in insurance procedures and the clear lack of will during this time."
"We volunteers have been noticing the lack of activity due to the impossibility of walks, the isolation, and the interaction that these dogs are suffering," they denounced. "In addition to not being able to walk the dogs, we are also not allowed access to the municipal dog pound, which is public. They deny us entry," criticized one of the volunteers. Another volunteer added that "there are still asbestos roofs to be removed from the adjoining building, and some rusty cages need to be eliminated. What worries us is the pace of the works."
Previously, some volunteers stated that they had reported "the poor condition of the facilities to Seprona, where some of these dogs are in legal proceedings due to their seizure, thus delaying a possible adoption." It should be remembered that the volunteers' complaints led the Court to open criminal proceedings for the Teguise dog pound. In them, they denounced "the poor conditions of the place, with unhealthy rooms, with lack of light or ventilation, and with several animals in the same cage," explained the volunteers. The complaint also made "mention of the dirt and cages in poor condition," they pointed out.