Benalmádena town hall launches responsible pet ownership campaign
The initiative, which will run throughout December, includes three educational talks and an information day, with a municipal stand set up to answer queries and distribute informative materials
Benalmádena town hall has announced a responsible pet ownership campaign developed jointly with the official college of veterinarians of Malaga. The aim of this campaign is to strengthen the municipality’s commitment to animal welfare, public health and community coexistence through training, public information and awareness-raising activities.
The campaign, which will run throughout December, includes three educational talks and an information day, with a municipal stand set up to answer queries and distribute informative materials.
The talks will be given by veterinary professionals and will address key topics such as responsible ownership, the prevention of abandonment, current animal protection legislation and the ethical management of feral cat colonies using the trap–neuter–return method (TNR).
During the presentation, held on Monday, animal protection councillor Áurea Peralta said, “Benalmádena has shown a growing awareness of animal welfare in recent years, and this campaign represents a further step towards building a respectful, informed municipality that is committed to its pets. The responsibility of caring not only improves animals’ lives but also the wellbeing of the whole community.” Peralta also stressed the importance of bringing information closer to residents and pointed out that “identification, vaccination and education are essential pillars in preventing abandonment and protecting our animals”.
For her part, citizen participation councillor María Luisa Robles explained that this initiative was selected by local residents through participatory budgeting, demonstrating that “animal welfare is a social priority for many families in Benalmádena”. Robles added, “This project is an example of how collaboration between residents, associations and professionals can generate useful, necessary public policies that are shared by everyone.”
The president of the college of veterinarians, Juan Antonio de Luque, thanked the council for investing in educational campaigns that place “public health and prevention at the centre”.
Informative talks
The campaign will begin on Tuesday 9 December with the talk, ‘how can we improve the lives of the animals in our town?’ This will be followed on 11 December with the session, ‘feral cat colonies’, which will focus on the CER method. The programme of talks will conclude on Tuesday 16 December with a lecture by veterinarian José María Ramírez Cuevas on legal responsibilities and the prevention of abandonment. All talks will take place at the Casa de la Cultura and will be free until full capacity is reached.
