The animal rights law firm Aboganimal, representing an affected resident, has for the second time requested the Haría City Council to "act immediately against the person responsible for at least three dogs that are kept loose and have been involved in numerous episodes of attacks on people, death of animals inside private properties, and devastation of feline colonies."
According to reports, "these attacks have affected both domestic animals and cats belonging to feline colonies. They have directly caused the deaths of at least four cats (three of them domestic, and one cat belonging to a feline colony), also resulting in injuries to two dogs owned by residents of the area, one of whom ended up dying from the injuries sustained. The colonies are at a minimum."
The complaint was filed at the end of July 2025, and this September a reiteration letter was submitted with a non-extendable deadline of 10 business days to verify an inspection, adopt precautionary measures, and initiate sanctioning proceedings. This deadline, they assure, "has not been met by the City Council."
The administration "cannot look the other way"
According to the regulations, the requirement demanded, with respect to the irregular situation of loose dogs, measures such as comprehensive inspection, "precautionary measures and initiation and notification of the sanctioning procedure with identification of an instructor. None of this has occurred, perpetuating the feeling of insecurity of the neighbors, who are afraid of being attacked by the loose dogs, which have proven to be dangerous also with people."
What will the neighbors do if the City Council continues to do nothing?
The Aboganimal firm announced in its statement the cascade of legal avenues if said inactivity continued. Currently, Marcos Lemes holds the councilorship of Animal Welfare and is responsible for the area. In this way, they point out that they have requested a hearing with the mayor of Haría, Alfredo Villalba, but "without a response for weeks, to each and every one of the requests presented in the electronic headquarters of the City Council."
"After the complaint in July, which was not answered, we reiterate the complaint and grant an additional period to the city council. This period has already passed without effective action; as we warned, we will activate the appropriate channels, without ruling out reporting for malfeasance. Protecting animals is a municipal competence and a legal duty of political leaders. Complying with the law is not optional. The answer cannot be silence: it is time to act, and it is time to act now," says Eloi Sarrió, animal rights lawyer and director of Aboganimal.
Call to the citizens and the corporation
Aboganimal asks neighborhood associations and animal welfare organizations to "request information on the matter and demand compliance with the law. The municipal corporation is reminded of its obligation to resolve and process with diligence and its direct competence to control and sanction such behaviors."