The Cabildo de Tenerife will allocate 1,071,197 euros this year to actions related to animal welfare. A large part of the budget will go to the animal shelters of Tierra Blanca (Fasnia) and Ravelo (El Sauzal), dependent on the Island Corporation, in which substantial adaptation and improvement works are being carried out.
This was announced yesterday by the island president, Pedro Martín, and the head of Animal Welfare, Javier Parrilla, during his visit to the facilities of the Tierra Blanca Animal Protection Center, in which the Cabildo has made an investment of close to 450,000 euros for the construction of a new warehouse and several garden areas.
Pedro Martín also advanced that throughout this year the Island Corporation will allocate almost 100,000 euros to change the roof of warehouse 1, in which asbestos has been detected, and a total of 55,696 euros to the execution of walking areas and exercise, in order to improve the quality of life of the animals.
“We were clear that animal care was one of the pending issues of the Cabildo de Tenerife, that is why we have multiplied investments and given a total turnaround to animal protection and care policies,” said Martín. In this sense, the president stressed that the animals already have “not only completely renovated facilities, but also an operating room and recreation and walking areas.”
Javier Parrilla, for his part, also valued the amount of 400,000 euros earmarked for the Ravelo hostel, for the construction of a sewage treatment plant and a veterinary clinic. Some works that are added to the adaptation work already carried out in the shelter in sanitary, electrical and locksmith matters, which involved an investment of 50,000 euros.
The island councilor also influenced the effort that the Island Corporation has been making, not only to improve the quality of the infrastructures, but also to adapt the environment. “The animals that arrive at Tierra Blanca and Ravelo deserve pleasant, comfortable facilities in the best conditions, which allow them to exercise and socialize, in addition to receiving the care and health care they need.”
In line with the above, the island president emphasized the effort and work of the staff of both centers. “Both here and in Ravelo we have professionals who, together with their training and preparation for caring for these animals, have a great deal of vocation and give their time and dedication to looking after them. And for us this is also a guarantee and encourages us to continue investing”.
Finally, Pedro Martín pointed out that in 2021 around 300 dogs were adopted, “an important and very high figure”. However, “we have to continue working on this line, because unfortunately while some dogs leave to be adopted, others enter to be abandoned.”
New facilities
The new warehouse, which has 56 kennels and the capacity to house between 56 and 112 animals, has involved an investment of 426,642 euros, while the cost of the garden areas, whose works have also been completed, amounted to 17,510 euros, detailed Javier Parrilla .
To complete the residential space of Tierra Blanca, the Cabildo has planned the construction of three exercise and walking patios, equipped with shade structures so that dogs can use the outside at any time of the day, even in summer.
The three patios will add a total of 885 square meters, and each of them will have a shaded area of 108 square meters. Regarding the interior of the ships, the island councilor ensures that they comply with the specific sectoral regulations “in terms of sanitary conditions and handling of animals, quality of interior air, water supply and evacuation of cleaning water and residues with their corresponding purification and discharge”.
Distinctions for Sustainable Tourism Practices
The Cabildo de Tenerife, through the insular area of Tourism directed by Laura Castro, distinguished yesterday the winning entities of the Sustainable Tourism Practices contest, which recognizes the good work in terms of sustainability by companies and public and private entities of the Island. These are six entities out of a total of 23 that entered the competition: the Starlight Camino Barranco Badajoz Park (Güímar), the Candelaria City Council, the Santa Bárbara Golf and Ocean Club complex, the Pico del Teide Cable Car , the Pirámides de Güímar Ethnographic Park and the Tegueste Town Hall.
