The mayor of Los Realejos, Adolfo González, has expressed his alarm at the 47 dogs that have been abandoned in the town since the beginning of 2024. Among them, 39 have been retrieved, while 8 are difficult to capture in the elevated areas of the municipality.
González has voiced his concern, stating that these incidents are not solely the responsibility of the residents of Los Realejos. The City Council has data indicating that some of the abandonments are by dog owners residing in other municipalities.
The mayor attributes this to the awareness of these dog owners about the collection service in Los Realejos, leading them to notify the Local Police or the “Peludos Felices” protector directly.
Josué Bacallado, the Councilor for Animal Welfare, has emphasized the need for social responsibility in pet ownership and highlighted the shared responsibility of all authorities in retrieving and caring for abandoned or helpless animals.
The individual in charge of the “Peludos Felices” animal shelter, in a statement issued by the City Council, revealed that 172 dogs were abandoned in Los Realejos in 2023, a significant number that the shelter finds “unmanageable” to address at the regional level.
González has stressed his intention to launch a detailed investigation into the surge of animal abandonment in the region. This will involve analyzing all data related to the origin of the calls and contacting the town councils of respective areas to review their animal welfare protocols and collection services.
He also mentioned that the budget for animal welfare in Los Realejos has increased from 79,000 to 164,000 euros, signaling the dedication of the City Council to address this issue.
Regarding the municipal campaign for controlling, sterilizing, and releasing cats, Bacallado reported the detection of 23 colonies in the municipal area and the sterilization of a total of 156 animals in January.
