Let’s stop killing aprox. 8000 dogs and cats per year in Gran Canaria

Approximately 10 000 dogs and cats are abandoned Gran Canaria every year. What happens with them next? Most of them are recollected by the local services and taken to a shelter. What most probably awaits them there is nothing else but death-more than 8000 per year. While they don't allow for cession by other associations or protectors, the only chance of survival is adoption by somebody who will appear soon after the animal had entered the shelter (usually 21 days) which means- they need to have a lot of luck. And hope for that is not what one can see in the eyes of those dogs and cats in Albergue en Bañaderos. The only thing you see there is desperation or surrender. And many of them are young, beautiful and purebred, not like in shelters in other countries where the majority are mongrels which could be seen as less attractive. 

How is it possible? The law in Gran Canaria allows it and treats it as a way to reduce a large number of abandoned animals. Does it have to be like this? The answer is no and it is highest time to introduce some changes. Local authorities in Tenerife is already creating new legislations to avoid killing healthy dogs and cats. Jesus Morales announced that no more animals will be sacrificed at the Center for Animal Protection Tierra Blanca or any other shelter. He recalled that it is council’s responsibility to change the situation of those animals, despite so far it was in the competence of the management of the shelters to decide about the sacrifications. “We cannot omit this responsibility anymore” he says. Finally, Jesus Morales insisted that the will of the council is to work "shoulder to shoulder" with the management of the shelters, protective organizations and volunteers to improve caring of the abandoned animals. 

Why Gran Canaria stays in the back? Few words about the present situation in Europe- how does the law regulates killing dogs in European countries? In 8 European countries plus rejón of Catalunya it is prohibited to kill heathy dogs and in 7 others there is no clear legislation about it, so local authorities can decide themselves. Isn't it clear and numerous example that is is possible to stop this practice? [No clear legislation about killing healthy dogs (the local authorities can decide themselves) Belgium Denmark Luxembourg Poland Slovenia Spain,UK Prohibition to kill healthy dogs Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, The Netherlands Catalunya (ES), Sweden (Source: Killing Heathy dogs in Europe- legal,research European Policy, Brussels 2014) ] The reasons for which law sees killing dogs as valid is suffering of the dog or public health risk. In some counties they add also public safety issues. However one tries to explain killing the dogs and cats in the shelters in Gran Canaria, it would be difficult to involve public health or safety risk. It is not where the problem is and neither it's source. Without looking at it, there is no way to solve it. 

The problem lays in the fact of abandoning the animals and the number of them. The reasons why people leave their pupils vary: from not responsible adoption or Christmas/birthday gifts, not being able to bring up a puppy properly and everyday the problems which occur from that, to changes of life style of place of living, which make living with a dog or cat impossible or difficult. Moreover if you look at the dogs’ owners situation in Gran Canaria, one must admit that they have many limitations. You cannot go to almost any beach with it or walk in some of the public spaces like long promenade Las Canteras in Las Palmas. You need to go to a distant dog park or wild areas like Confital or in the mountains to walk it properly, so you can forget about spending your day easily with a dog by your side, like people do in Berlin or London. And watch out- if a paw of a dog will touch the sand of the beach or enter one of the buildings where dogs are not welcome, police will shortly appear to give you a fine. Dogs seem to be seen as problems. It is not a paradise for dog owners - it is very far from it. 

The biggest problem is large number of aspects have their sources in the subject of easy availability of puppies and kittens. Nowadays only a promile of the animals in Gran Canaria are sterilized while there are great examples of cities in Europe which totally got rid of the problem of abandoned dogs and cats by appling sterilization as a rutine procedure. Then there comes the subject of breeding the animals for sale. Why is it still legal, if the shelters are full of beautiful purebred or much alike animals? Moreover in big cities in Europe recently it has been more and more popular to adopt mongrels as buying purebred dogs is becoming to be seen unethical or a sign of bad taste. And the last but not the least- contrary- it is the key to the whole puzzle- empathy. Wise people say that the level of society one can measure by the empathy and care they have towards animals. Easy to conclude that we still need to grow in this field. 

Quoting the director of the shelter Albergue de Bañaderos, Maria Rosa Gonzalez. "We can not keep pretending there is no problem, if the social pressure will not inicjatyw the change, politicians will not make it themselves. If we love animals we can decide our taxes to be used for their good. Whilst as long as the institutions do not introduce changes in the law and education of this society, it is only spending money to euthanize animals. " 

Here are our ideas and projects to reduce the number of homeless dogs and cats: 

1. Sterilize all dogs and cats until the number of these abandoned in the shelters is significantly reduced. 

2. Prohibit the sale of dogs and cats, including in the stores. 

3. Introduce lessons of empathy in all schools. 

4. Initiate cooperation between the shelter and the local prison, where are many people who can significantly benefit from it (as research examples confirms 70% lower rate of recidivism among prisoners taking care of dogs), have resources to take care of them and this way could be finally socially useful. 

5. Develop a fair protection law banning animal sacrifices of healthy dogs and cats. 

It is high time to introduce respect in the way we treat dogs and cats. We cannot wait any longer- it costs too many of their lives.