Portugal’s new government forestry boss Miguel Freitas says national kennels need around €50 million to bring them into line with a law that came into effect last year (September 2016) prohibiting the culling of cats and dogs. Kennels have been given a period of two years (until September 2018) to implement measures to adjust to the new ruling.
In the Algarve alone, kennels will need to spend around €2.5 million in new infrastructures and €1.3 million in operational costs.
Taking all of Portugal into account, the numbers rise to €30 million and €20 million, respectively.
Freitas says that while the new law is a positive step, more money is needed to bring kennels into line with the ruling.
“If there isn’t a national policy that will support municipalities, I cannot see how in two years we will solve problems that we haven’t been able to solve in 30.”
The new law envisages that only animals that are deemed to be “suffering” will be allowed to be put down at municipal kennels from September 2018.
Lagoa has already announced plans to adapt to the law, with a project to turn its municipal kennels into an “Official Centre for the Capture of Stray Animals” (Centro Oficial de Recolha de Animais Errantes).
