18/04/2013 00:00
TW
0
By Humphrey Carter

PALMA
THE British-founded Centro Canino animal shelter is facing another fight for survival after being issued with a court order to remove all of its dogs by 11am tomorrow, or face having them taken away by the authorities.

This is the fourth time in as many years the animal refuge has been served with such an order, but in the wake of the last incident, a Palma judge ruled in favour of the shelter on the grounds of animal welfare.

However, vice-president, Julie Ford, explained that a new judge has over ruled the former decision and ordered the centre be closed. “Even though we disagree with the ruling, and it breaks our hearts, we are forced to comply with it,” she said yesterday. “Therefore, on Thursday, we must take our dogs away from the refuge, the only place many of them have ever felt safe and loved. “We feel totally let down by our politicians and judicial system that allow hundreds of cases of animal cruelty to go unpunished, but clamp down on a respected animal protection charity which has been rescuing and rehoming literally thousands of abandoned animals for more than 40 years with zero cost to public funds,” Ford added. “We have suffered constant harassment on the part of Palma Council which has shown little interest in the work of the many volunteers and supporters who struggle tirelessly to improve animal welfare. “Perhaps it is too much to expect even a smidgen of sensitivity and compassion amidst the shameful political corruption scandals rocking the community. “Only one thing appears to matter - money,” Ford proclaimed. “We have informed Begoña Sanchez, the Palma Councillor for Health, and Rosa Llinás that we are to take legal action, because a sound reading, carried out by the “Patrulla Verde” (Green patrol) police from a private home and NOT the Centro Canino Internacional, has been used in the court case.

In addition, with all respect to the judge, we cannot understand why she has accepted our request for an independent sound reading while ordering the removal of our dogs, meaning of course, that there will no longer be any dogs at the refuge when the sound reading is carried out. “One has to wonder if the outcome has already been decided,” said Ford.
The animal loving public has responded well to the plight of the Centro Canino on each of the three former closure orders and either adopted or fostered the animals.

At the moment, the centre has 12 adults and their puppies and Ford said that a number of people have already offered new homes but the Centro Canino wants to make sure than when the order is served tomorrow morning, there will be no animals left on the site which, thanks to generous donations, has been fully sound proofed. “All the animals are kept inside indoor special soundproofed kennels over night so it's impossible it's our dogs which are allegedly keeping the one neighbour awake,” Ford said.

For further information visit: centrocaninointernacional.org