Forum about Lanzarote

Interesting article in La Voz : (sorry it is in Spanish)

[www.lavozdelanzarote.com]

Unbeknown(sp?) to anyone (me thinks) Tias ayuntamiento have been paying a private firm/kennels to collect "stray" dogs off the streets for the last twelve months. They then kennel them for three weeks to allow owners to recover them and adopt them out if no-one shows. This is not unsimilar to what SARA are already doing and, in principle, this is a wonderful service.
The problem is SARA have an abundance of posters and details of dogs that have been lost but have not been telling people to go and check these kennels as they didn't know it existed!!

Tias do not have a perrera (dog pound) and it was agreed five years ago that Tias would pay SARA 475€ per annum to look after the stray dogs of their municipality. Tias have not paid SARA this miniscule amount for 2007 but have managed to pay the private firm 30,000 euros for the same service. The private firm dealt with 79 dogs wereas Sara looked after 77 dogs, 58 cats and sterilized 50 street cats from the Tias area last year.

This can't be right. I feel for the people who have lost their dogs, many of which will have been re-homed, probably in Germany but there is also the money aspect. SARA are tearing their hair out trying to make ends meet every month and Tias dish out 30,000 to someone doing exactly what SARA have been doing for years.

There is no justice.

Lynne
* this was written as a personal point of view from a very hard working volunteer at the shelter and not an official statement from SARA.

I agree seems terribly unfair - but on a vaguely light a note what is wrong with the dogs being rehomed in Germany?! YOu make it sound a bad thing!!!

ang on a minute [www.lanzarotenews.net]

Now I know the'yre different authorities, but their financial situation can't be so different that one can't pay the wages and the other can pay for pooches.

I smell a rat, or is it a cat?

Steve

Will

If you re-read my post I did say "which is a wonderful service" so I am not against the dogs being re-homed wherever, in fact I am very much in favour.

The problem is the ayuntamiento failed to make ANY sort of announcement about this arrangement. The company say they hold the dogs for 21 days giving the owners time to reclaim them BUT if no-one knows about these kennels how are the owners going to find them, which is why I posted this in the first place, hopefully to get the word out.

Wasn't having a pop! As i said on a vaguely lighter note!!

But surely Lynne all responsible owners will have their dog chipped and collared so if there dog is found then this won't happen?

And surely the thought that at least the dog will get a second chance in Germany rather than being destroyed is a small positive.

Yes, all responsible dog owners should have them chipped. The presence of a collar doesn't count here and a dog is classed as stray even if it has a collar.

There are no guarantees that these dogs will find a home after the 21 days. They have only dealt with 79 dogs in one year, What will happen when they start dealing with larger numbers etc. and these dogs take over their kennels and they start losing money on kennelling fees from private individuals through lack of space.

They say in the article that, as yet, they haven't had to put a dog down.

Now I am starting to sound as if I am against them doing this service ..... I repeat ...... it is a good thing and should help SARA out by taking some of the workload. I just have a problem with the lack of advertising and the fact that they themselves go round the streets picking up dogs. It is strange that they have managed to find homes for all their dogs ....are they cherry picking?
I wonder how many Podencos and Bardinos they have collected and how many 10 year old scruffy mutts with skin alergies or bad eyesight.