DecidimVLC is a citizen consultation for the city and towns of Valencia. The initiative, launched by the Valencia City Council, allows citizens to participate and decide how to invest 7 million euros in the city. Through the Citizen Investment Consultation, Valencians will directly decide on the 2018 budget. So far, so good.
However, there is something that has caught our attention and seems extremely inspiring to us, so much so that we want to share it with all of you. The initiative (which is currently garnering more support than any other) is a recovery center for street cats. The feline sanctuary was not only in first place a few days ago, but it has already moved to the second phase and will be one of the finalist projects, thanks to the massive support of residents.
The proposal responds to a real and worrying need. For years, homeless cats have been settling in abandoned or undeveloped plots and lands in the capital of Turia, something that, moreover, occurs in most cities. However, the situation had reached a point where 500 cat colonies had already been counted. Each colony has between five and twenty feline members. This means that in the city of Valencia, there are at least 2,500 homeless cats. Cats that, until now, have been cared for by charitable souls, neighbors who care for and feed them of their own accord, spending their money and time to provide these kitties with a minimum quality of life. The Valencian council, it seems, has never paid them much attention.
However, that is not the trigger that has made neighbors worried and start calling the city council with concern. The trigger has been that all those cats are being forced to abandon their street homes because the plots where they lived... are beginning to be developed.
Perhaps these calls to the city council are related to the fact that the promoter of the cat shelter is the Councilor for Animal Protection: Glòria Tello.
It appears Tello is already hunting for a location for this cat sanctuary. It is presumed that this sanctuary will be located on the outskirts of Valencia. Various sources point to farmhouses belonging to the municipality (some of them located in the orchard area) that will need to be restored and properly adapted to become a dignified shelter for homeless cats (something to which the 800,000 euros from the budget item would be allocated). The staff in charge of the shelter would, as planned, be municipal. Although it is not ruled out that additional staff may need to be hired.
The Councilor for Animal Protection, ignoring the criticisms from residents and Valencian media who claim that this is not a real priority for the city, assures that the success of her initiative highlights the sensitivity of Valencians towards issues related to the animal world.
As of today, there is a high possibility that the cat recovery center will go from being a dream to becoming a reality. If it moves forward, efforts will be made to support the volunteers mentioned earlier. For this purpose, they will be offered a space to treat sick cats and provide specialized assistance, as well as to process adoptions and sterilizations. Eventually, donations of feed and other food, if any, will also be managed from there.
Finally, it should be noted that the abandoned animal reception service is not the same as the street cat recovery center. The first manages the abandoned pet animal center. The second, for its part, will be a support center for colony felines and their generous caregivers.
From ARISTOPET, we hope the proposal goes through. It is truly necessary for the ARISTOCATS living on the streets to be properly cared for, attended to, and to have a better life. We will keep you informed!