With the implementation of the new Animal Welfare Law, which came into force on September 29th, the new office of the Animal Welfare Area of the Cabildo of Lanzarote opened two months ago. The head of the area, Ruimán Duarte, highlighted in a recent interview for Radio Lanzarote Onda-Cero that the initiative "was necessary and will be key for citizens." "Finally, it has been possible to have a place where any citizen can come to consult their doubts," he highlighted.
From the office, the people of Lanzarote can "obtain information" and from the Cabildo we are at the "service of all citizens," the head made clear. "Although for the moment it's just me.
An office that will have from 2024 "economic reinforcements in the budgets allocated to logistics and staff", something that Duarte is "convinced" of. With the aim of "improving the lives of animals", which is the main reason for which the area has been created.
With the implementation of the new law, the head recognizes that "we have gone from one extreme to the other." He recalls that, historically, the area "was given very little importance" to the point that "nobody wanted it." Something that changes significantly with the opening of this department, with this, "we make a statement to give it importance," he pointed out.
"It was given very little importance, but we have made a statement to give it importance"
Regarding the new law, he points out that it benefits animals and their care but "complicates life quite a bit for the town councils." Since its application, the town councils must have "a balanced and updated census" and, in addition, they request that we have a "24-hour animal collection service", something that "economically becomes complicated," he stated.
From the area, they recognize that "they have had to get their act together" and "take new measures", with respect to a law that has "become demanding", describes the head. What they are clear about is that "the mentality is evolving" and "the importance of the area is being understood."
The problem of cats in Lanzarote
One of the biggest problems that Lanzarote has is focused on the number of cats that live on the street. An issue that the area will deal with urgently. "We are going to have an insular Animal Welfare table, in which we will deal with the technical and social part," he revealed. "We will be in contact with the associations to reach agreements and solve the problems that they may raise," he confirms.
The main idea is to follow the line of "coordinating campaigns and preparing budgets," he pointed out. From the island corporation, we must "understand the management of cats as an issue for the entire island and work together."
As a notable measure, "more sterilization campaigns" must be carried out and "invest in it," he reveals. Some studies endorse these measures, stating that "sterilization campaigns have to reach 80% of the cat communities in which they are going to act," he adds. Otherwise, these measures "would not be useful."
In addition, he highlights the good work done in Teguise with the sterilization campaigns. "In two days they sterilized 100 cats," Duarte recalled. Nor should we forget the protected species that exist in Lanzarote, "which must be taken care of," he recalls.
In animal shelters, the situation in which they find themselves is also worrying. "Most do not have cat flaps," he recalls. They are very concerned about the situation of the animals that "cannot be forgotten" and it significantly affects them to "see them suffering and abandoned," he clarified.
"It affects us to see animals suffering and abandoned"
Therefore, we must avoid as much as possible that "they reproduce", something that will be achieved with the "coordination with volunteers." In addition, with the new law, they understand that "it is not just a political issue", that we must "work the seven town councils and the Cabildo" to achieve the objectives.
