One owner has six pets in her apartment.

TW

Opposition parties at Palma town hall say they will be presenting submissions challenging aspects of the proposed new animal welfare bylaw. The Partido Popular's Marga Duran explains that there will be various submissions regarding the "most restrictive" contents, which are another invasion of people's private lives. Josep Lluís Bauzá of Ciudadanos says that the party will be presenting submissions along with animal rights groups.

Support for the bylaw's proposed limits on the number of pets (three in apartments; five in houses) has come from the federation of residents associations and the college of finca administrators. Pau Bonet of the college believes that the bylaw will help both coexistence in apartment buildings and animal welfare. The federation says that there has been a demand for these sorts of limits, but it wants the bylaw to be more specific. "A cat is not the same as a canary."

The Baldea animal welfare association regrets the fact that it was not consulted. As a general rule it feels that a maximum of three dogs seems acceptable. However, there should be exceptions. The Centro Canina Internacional will be making submissions about the limits and also the regulation for diluting dog urine. They point out that a dog can wee a dozen times when it is out. "What's the owner to do? Carry a five litre container?" asks president Juan Gil.

Another political party, Actúa, believe that the limits on pets will lead to their "massive abandonment" and that the Son Reus centre will be overwhelmed. Spokesperson Guillermo Amengual has criticised the town hall for not having sought consensus with animal welfare groups. He agrees with increased fines for not collecting dog mess and for mistreatment of animals, but doubts if there are the resources to make the fines effective.

The town hall said yesterday that the limit of three pets in an apartment would only apply in cases of animal mistreatment or conflict between residents.