Dog adoptions went up by nearly 90pc this summer

During the months of June, July and August a total of 483 dogs were adopted from the Son Reus centre, said the councillor for Health and Consumer Affairs in Palma City Council, Marina Sans.

During the same time last year only 255 dogs were taken from the centre, which represents an 89.4 percent increase, she added.
These statistics are “very positive” and are the result of the various campaigns which have been run through the year by the Health and Consumer Affairs department.

The animal campaigns all had the same aim, “to increase the number of animals which are adopted in Palma”, said Marina Sans.
The latest initiative by Palma City Council was the launch of the Son Reus website, on which residents can view all the dogs which have been rounded up by the centre and in desperate need of a good loving home.

However, on the down side, more dogs were actually found roaming the streets this summer than last. This summer a total of 1'586 dogs were collected by the municipal animal protection centre, which is a 8.4 percent increase when compared to the same time last year, a period where Son Reus collected 1'463 dogs.

As for dogs who had lost their way home, a total of 128 dogs, which carried the chip identification, were returned to their owners.
In this way, 30.6 percent more dogs were returned home this summer than in 2004, when only 98 dogs were taken home.
When the Son Reus centre gets in contact with the owners of the lost animals, most of these people have been looking for their missing pet and go to the centre to collect them, confirmed Marina Sans
However, a small majority of people say, that for whatever reason, they are not capable of looking after their pet anymore. “One of our objectives is to make residents more aware of their responsibilities when it comes to their pets”, added the councillor.
The animals that the centre does give away “are in perfect health, as they are always given a thorough check-up”, said the councillor for Health and Consumer Affairs.

If not adopted within a certain time, the dogs are put down.