The San Bartolomé City Council, through its Animal Welfare Department, continues to advance in the Municipal Feline Colony Management Program, a consolidated initiative that is yielding very positive results in the regulation and care of the municipality's community cats with the aim of minimizing the uncontrolled spread of these domestic animals
Since its implementation, more than 500 cats have been registered across 69 colonies, applying the TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) method with an ethical, sanitary, and sustainable approach, as one of the main objectives of this initiative.
In line with this intervention and in order to take a further step in the autonomous management of this task, the San Bartolomé City Council is preparing to set up a municipal modular operating room, which will allow for the continuous sterilization of 15 to 20 cats per week, reinforcing population control and animal welfare campaigns, in collaboration with Gesplan.
The mayor of San Bartolomé, Isidro Pérez, explains that this program represents "a firm step towards a more responsible, respectful, and committed municipality regarding animal welfare." He emphasized that "the responsible management of feline colonies not only protects the cats but also improves coexistence and public health in the municipality's public spaces, thus preventing the uncontrolled growth of these animals."
For his part, the Councilor for Animal Welfare, Fernando Vadillo, pointed out that the launch of the modular operating room and the large-scale application of the TNR method will allow for real control and monitoring of feline colonies, preventing uncontrolled growth and promoting **responsible adoption**. "Cats are domestic animals that have managed to adapt outside of environments and homes, so it is necessary to activate cross-cutting mechanisms to ensure their effective monitoring."
The program, developed with the technical support of Gesplan and in coordination with the municipal Animal Welfare Service, integrates actions for census, sterilization, health control, caregiver training, cleaning of feeding stations, and promotion of adoption for sociable cats, in compliance with Law 7/2023 on the protection of animal rights and welfare, for which veterinary services have been reinforced.
A modular operating room for population control
The objective is for the modular operating room to be operational in the first four months of 2026, becoming a fixed point of reference for the municipality's animal population control campaigns. It will allow for constant activity in the sterilization and veterinary care of community cats, guaranteeing the continuity of the program and its long-term positive impact.
Citizen Commitment and Participation
The program also includes the training and accreditation of caregivers, the creation of standardized veterinary protocols, coordination between municipal departments (cleaning, gardens, health, local police), and collaboration with animal protection entities registered on the island.
