Cat and dog abandonment is decreasing

At the weekend, only two dogs were taken in, and these had both been lost. They have already been returned to their owners. Typically, the centre expects between four and eight cats and dogs over a weekend.

During the week, some two dogs have been arriving at the centre each day. Under normal circumstances, four or five are taken in. The president of Amics dels Animals (Friends of the Animals), Olga Coego, confirms that there has not been an increase in the number of animals being abandoned. "On the contrary, people are aware that dogs have to be looked after. We have even received some calls for adoption, but as we are in quarantine, this has stopped."

She adds that there have been inquiries about whether it is permissible to go to fincas where dogs are kept. People have been unsure if they are allowed to go out in order to feed the dogs. "They can, as is the case with cat colonies."

Mariano Mas, director of Natura Parc, agrees that there has not been a rise in the number of dogs being picked up because they have been abandoned or lost. He suggests that it is the other way round. "Since there is no one on the streets, if a dog goes astray, no one comes across it, and so it ends up finding its way home, whereas before it might have been picked up." Over the weekend, Natura Parc collected only four or five dogs across the whole island.

He notes, however, there seems to be an increase in the number of attacks on sheep and chicken by dogs that have been left alone at fincas. If they have no food, they escape and then return. There were four such attacks last week. Meanwhile, because there is far less traffic, fewer animals are being run over.