The Teguise City Council has responded to the PSOE's criticisms of the "lamentable state" of the municipal dog pound, assuring that it has "nothing to hide" and that the facilities meet the "optimal conditions" to house the animals.
Regarding the images that the socialists made public this Monday, the Councilor for Animal Welfare, Gerardo Díaz, assures that they do not correspond to reality and that what they show is an unused "old garage." However, he acknowledges that these more "worn" areas were used "occasionally", but assures that it was only "two or three days", in times of high saturation of the dog pound.
In addition, he denies that these photographs were taken "two weeks ago", as the socialist councilor Jennifer Galán claimed, and insists that they correspond only to "areas that are not being used."
In any case, the councilor does admit that the dog pound presents "deterioration" due to the passage of the years and that it needs reforms. "We have documentation from a veterinary clinic that was done two months ago, and it said what we would have to correct," he points out.
"The reality is that we have had a problem in the municipal dog pound, as a result of the seizure of 13 huskies in Guatiza, which has prevented us from carrying out more construction work in the animal shelter", explains Gerardo Díaz. According to the councilor, the presence of these animals in the municipal dog pound since March 2021 has been one of the reasons why they have not been able to undertake these works, although he affirms that they have been able to reform some areas of the shelter.
"We have been trying to give these animals up for adoption for more than a year. We have reached an agreement with three NGOs, so that they can do the relevant treatment and find a home for these thirteen dogs", adds the councilor. The case of these animals was in the courts, since the owners intended to have the animals returned to them, although Díaz assures that the judge has already given "the green light" to be able to start the adoption process.
Two hundred thousand euros to entrust the management of the dog pound to Gesplan
The Councilor for Animal Welfare has also stressed that in the municipal budgets they have included "200,000 euros for entrusting the municipal dog pound to the public company Gesplan."
"We have an agreement in principle for them to take charge, as they already have the experience of the island dog pound of Gran Canaria and other municipalities on other islands. In addition to the management, they will be in charge of completing the works, implementing a technician, a permanent veterinarian, a 24-hour service and the collection of animals", he explains.
Gerardo Díaz advances that the commission to Gesplan will be taken to the next plenary session, since he assures that from the area "they have everything prepared", only pending the municipal secretary giving the green light to the project.
"It is public and can be visited"
Gerardo Díaz has also denied that the opposition is being prevented from accessing the dog pound, as the socialist Jennifer Galán claimed. "That's a lie," he replied. "What we don't want is for anyone to enter there as if nothing. Let them call the technician or me, and come in to visit with the official", adds the councilor.
"We have nothing to hide, far from it. The dog pound is public and can be visited", he assures. In addition, the councilor points out that volunteers go to the municipal dog pound "three days a week" to walk the animals. "They enter perfectly, we have nothing to hide", he insists.
