The Lanzarote Club of the Presa Canario asks for greater institutional commitment to the sector

The Lanzarote Club of Presa Canario has publicly denounced the lack of institutional support for the protection and conservation of this dog, a genetic heritage of the Canary Islands. According to their defense, official data from the Zoocan Registry "show that the dog occupies an essential place in Canarian society." Currently, there are 568,208 registered dogs in the Canary Islands, of which 38,867 are in Lanzarote. These figures demonstrate that the dog is part of the daily life of tens of thousands of Lanzarote families and constitutes a social, cultural, and economic element of the first order.

Within this reality, the Presa Canario occupies an "absolutely unique" place. With 14,070 registered specimens, it is consolidated as one of the breeds with the greatest presence in the archipelago and as one of the main symbols of our identity, but there is a fact that further increases everyone's responsibility: the Government of the Canary Islands has recently recognized the Presa Canario as Genetic Heritage of the Canary Islands. "This recognition means much more than an administrative distinction; it represents the commitment to protect a living legacy that is part of the history, culture, and traditions of our people," they assure.

The Presa Canario has accompanied Canarian farmers and ranchers for generations, becoming an emblem of our islands and an internationally admired breed. Preserving its authenticity, functionality, and genetic purity "is not only an obligation of breeders and enthusiasts, but a responsibility shared by all of society and, especially, by public administrations."

From the Lanzarote Club of Presa Canario, they understand that this recognition "must translate into active policies of support and protection. It is not enough to declare the value of our genetic heritage; it is essential to provide it with the means to guarantee its conservation and promotion."

Therefore, they request from the public institutions of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo of Lanzarote, and the island's town councils greater involvement in initiatives related to the world of dogs and, especially, with the Presa Canario. Among these, they consider it a priority:

• The support for exhibitions, monographs, and cynological events that disseminate our breed within and outside the Canary Islands.
• Support for genetic improvement and health control programs that allow maintaining the purity and quality of the Presa Canario.
• Collaboration in educational projects aimed at promoting responsible ownership and knowledge of our native breeds.
• The promotion of the Presa Canario as part of the cultural and tourist heritage of the archipelago.
• The creation of stable lines of collaboration with associations that, altruistically, have been working for decades for the conservation of this breed.

Likewise, they point out that the world of dogs "also generates significant economic activity linked to veterinary medicine, food, specialized trade, tourism, hospitality, and event organization. Each exhibition or cynological meeting represents an opportunity to boost the local economy and project the image of the Canary Islands internationally."

"We firmly believe that supporting the Presa Canario is betting on our history, our culture, and our future. It is protecting a heritage that belongs to all Canary Islanders and transmitting it in the best conditions to future generations," they state.

"From the Lanzaroteño Club of the Presa Canario, we reiterate our full willingness to collaborate with all public administrations, placing our experience, knowledge, and commitment at their service, with the common goal of continuing to enhance one of the greatest identity markers of the Canary Islands. Because protecting the Presa Canario is protecting an inalienable part of the soul of our land," they conclude.