The recently enacted animal protection laws place a clear obligation on every town hall in Spain: there must be a 24/7 animal collection service available every day of the year, and there has to be a mechanism to ensure that any animal in need of veterinary care receives it promptly. The aim is to guarantee humane treatment and timely medical attention for abandoned and stray animals, regardless of local resources or budget constraints.
In practice, this requirement tests many municipalities. Some towns struggle with limited budgets, insufficient infrastructure, and only a small workforce. The question then becomes: how can towns meet these legal duties without straining already tight municipal finances?
The law itself offers a path forward by encouraging collaboration through provincial assemblies. This approach mirrors how new services often emerge in stages: start small, build trust, and expand gradually as capacity grows. The initial steps focus on essential, scalable provisions that can be implemented without delay.
One practical starting point is to establish a 24-hour animal collection service, either directly or via a competitive tender that covers smaller municipalities. This model allows a centralized service to operate across multiple towns, pooling resources for efficiency. In addition to the Local Police, other community actors can contribute where available, such as Civil Protection units, environmental organizations, Red Cross affiliates, and local animal welfare associations. Their participation can help fill gaps and extend reach.
For the 24-hour veterinary component, agreements with veterinary hospitals across the province can be arranged. Under this arrangement, the animal collection service would be able to transport animals to partner clinics for treatment in cases of injury or illness, ensuring that medical care is accessible even when municipal resources are stretched thin.
With these arrangements in place, the law’s core objectives are met while a foundation is laid for ongoing improvement. A coordinated framework can deliver immediate benefits and pave the way for enhancements over time, including clearer protocols, better animal housing, and smoother transfer processes between intake points and veterinary services. The essential point is to create a practical, responsive system that protects animal welfare from the moment of intake through recovery or onward placement.
Still, the question of proper sheltering remains. In principle, a small temporary facility can be used to hold animals for a short period before they are moved to a more extensive, long-term shelter. Such shelters should offer secure kennels, regular veterinary checks, and humane care. A provincial reference shelter can serve as a central hub for intake, medical services, and care coordination, while also supporting adoption programs to rehome animals. The more cohesive the network, the better the outcomes for stray and abandoned animals—and for the communities they live in.
Ultimately, success hinges on practical collaboration, clear governance, and steady improvement. Municipalities can begin with shared services that cover critical needs and then expand toward more sophisticated, long-term protections. A connected system reduces redundancy, spreads costs, and elevates the standard of animal welfare across the province. In time, these measures become not just compliance with the letter of the law but a reliable, humane framework that communities can trust and sustain.