The Head of Animal Welfare of Podemos Canarias, Mila Hormiga has asked the Government of the Canary Islands, presided over by the socialist Ángel Víctor Torres, to “urgently develop and approve the long-delayed Animal Welfare Law”, since the “despicable acts” that occurred with the stray dog 'Timple' in Lanzarote “demonstrate that citizens demand legislation that protects animals from mistreatment.”
For Hormiga, “what the ‘Timple case’ brings to light is that the administrations evade their responsibilities regarding abandoned animals, despite the fact that these powers are recognized in state and regional laws and in municipal Animal Protection ordinances.”
“Thus, we have stopped the modification and updating of the Canary Animal Protection Law in which, among other issues, the regulatory protection of feline colonies and the prohibition of cockfights are recognized, which is a shame since we are the last stronghold in the national geography where this abuse is still allowed, so we urge the Canarian Government to promote the last parliamentary procedure for its approval,” she insists.
Precisely, as a result of the death by asphyxiation of the dog 'Timple' and the social commotion it has caused in the Canary Islands, Hormiga will meet in Tenerife with the general director of Animal Rights of the Government of Spain, Sergio García Torres, and several groups of lawyers, veterinarians and animal rights activists to address the need to toughen the current Penal Code and “update it to the majority feeling of citizens, who understand that the penalties for mistreatment or abandonment are insufficient.”
Beings endowed with sensitivity
“That animals cease to be things and become considered beings endowed with sensitivity, as stated in the Treaty of Lisbon, is a social demand that is above party acronyms, so we hope that all political forces will join our intention to approve the Animal Welfare Law in the Canary Islands,” insists Hormiga.
The head of Animal Welfare of Podemos Canarias considers that “for decades, the governments of the Canarian Coalition were blind and deaf to the events of animal abuse and did nothing to fight against them”, so she insists that the progressive Executive of the Pacto de las Flores must demonstrate that “assumes that animals are sentient beings and that it hurts that they suffer abandonment and torture, so it will approve legal measures to prevent it.”
Offer "more resources and efficiency" to municipal services
Podemos affirms that, according to the latest data, there are half a million domestic animals in the Canary Islands and abandonment reaches 10,000 animals per year, exceeding 200,000 nationwide.
The purple formation requests the urgent modification of the legislation and insists on the need to offer "more resources and efficiency" to municipal services "to collect and give dignified treatment to abandoned animals".
Finally, Podemos Canarias believes that the Timple case “goes further and not only shows that the state law against abuse must be toughened but that society is fed up and is saying enough is enough of so much impunity”, because “the death and torture of Timple is a crime that is regulated in the Penal Code". "In addition to toughening the penalties, it is necessary to prevent them from being suspended later and that those responsible go to prison in order to do justice to the animals and to end this scourge,” she concludes.
