Animal Rights Groups planning demonstrations in Palma

They're demanding that the new Municipal Animal Ordinance be agreed and approved as soon as possible; that the deficiencies of the Son Reus protection centre be remedied and that the exploitation of galley horses be stopped. They also object to the felling and pruning of trees which they claim is destroying nature and birds nests, criticise the lack of aid for cat colonies and the fact that people are not allowed to feed them in some areas of the city.

"We are tired of sending letters and presenting proposals that are ignored and no action being taken, so we are going to demonstrate because people are fed up," said Progreso en Verde President, Guillermo Amengual.

Animal Welfare Councillor, Ramon Perpinyà, said in the last Municipal plenary, that the new animal ordinance would be approved by the end of the year, that it had already been sent to the Municipal lawyers and had already been sanctioned by the main animal rights groups.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," claims Amengual. "I have spoken to many of these groups and Associations and they know nothing about this Ordinance. It’s doubtful that the text of this Ordinance is even finished."

“We haven’t had a meeting with the City Council about the final draft of the Ordinance for two years,” adds Baldea President, Maxi Lange. “Suggestions were made some time ago, but we don't know if they have been accepted or not.

Amengual has denounced the animal abuse proposal approved in the last plenary as "embarrassing."

"There was a lot of talk about empathy for animals and ending animal cruelty, but this Government is doing nothing and it's really very frustrating," says Amengual, who adds that there’s still no Ordinance for the galley horses. "We have begged them for some minimum proposals to protect the galley horses because summer is just around the corner, but they’ve done nothing."