Arona expresses concern about abandoned animal increase but removes weekend service

[Janet]

It was only a week or so ago that Arona Ayuntamiento announced that due to the increase of abandoned animals on the municipality's streets, the refuge centres were overflowing, and that it had participated in a meeting with the the Cabildo and the neighbouring ayuntamientos of Adeje, Arona, Granadilla de Abona, Guía de Isora and San Miguel de Abona to discuss the burgeoning problem and what could be done about it.

It was left to the Policía Local, however, to announce that Arona's dog collection services will now be reduced to weekdays only, with the weekend patrols removed. One has to presume that it is a question of money, despite the public assertion of concern. One has to presume it because the council has made no public comment on the removal of the service. Police sources say that this is hardly surprising since the local authority typically makes only those announcements that give a positive impression, or which does it some good with the electorate. Meanwhile, we must hope that dogs learn not to go missing at the weekend, or more particularly, that their owners learn only to dump them during the week. JA

[Briz]

I think they need to revisit this situation and consider destroying dogs that haven't been rehoused within a finite period freeing up space for more abandoned animals.

[Janet]

Adeje do this already, though I don't think it's much known ... or certainly it's not much spoken about. I think the problem with Arona (and San Miguel and Granadilla) is that there's no "municipal" pound, as such, just the private ones that there are argeements with. As such, they mightn't have control over that sort of policy.

I agree with you, though. Very reluctantly, and very sadly, but I see no other solution.