For those of you supporters who wrote to the Lady Mayoress of Palma to protest about the closure of the centre, and who had their email returned, I have received the following reply.
Loosely translated from Spanish, it says,
‘The council are not into “sacrificing animals if they can help it”. The centre was opened in 2000, and licenced for 10 dogs. It now has more like 44. and local neighbours have complained.
Over a long period of time they have discussed this with the centre,
and a judge confirmed the closure order. This meant the centre had to go back down to the correct number, or the municipal countil would step in and remove the excess dogs and cats.
The municipal pound has some 449 dogs and 91 cats in it and the council have begun a campaign about adoption in the area and it is going well.
They talked with the centre over a period of time about the closure order. However there is a “lull” on it for the moment… until they can sort it out.’
Well, just a suggestion, how about the complaining neighbours helping out at the centre by dog walking, so the dogs are more tired, sleep more and bark less! Or, even better, the islanders stop abandoning their dogs and cats.