WILLEMSTAD - The Curaçao Animal Protection said yesterday during the summary proceedings that it was forced to act against a situation in which stray dogs are completely left to fend for themselves.
According to Maria Luisa Garcia, the situation of dogs on the street has become a major problem. We get calls from citizens, organizations, airport and hotels. The problem has become immense. Anyone can see this. There are dogs that bite people, animals that cause a nuisance and citizens who no longer feel safe on the street. The government recognizes that this is a problem.
For this reason, Animal Protection has taken the initiative to catch stray dogs and puppies. If the owner does not pick them up within a seven-day period, they will be spayed, chipped and placed in the shelter.
But everyone understands that we cannot keep an animal in the shelter for a long time. At some point, the animal will be killed,” said Carcia. She says that Curaçao has more than six thousand stray dogs.
The summary proceedings that were filed yesterday were initiated by various organizations, such as Feed Friends Foundation, Rescue Paws Curaçao Foundation, Stichting Dierenhulp Nederland and Tes Dog Foundation. They do not agree with the project to catch stray dogs and take them off the street.
According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, CTB, the dog problem is one of the two most frequently mentioned problems experienced by tourists. These results have led to the CTB entering into an agreement with Animal Protection to look for solutions to the problems in Curaçao.
The verdict in this case is on February 28.