Under new Calvia ordinance on animal welfare there will be an obligation on owners to chip and neuter domestic cats. At the same time, the town hall is to introduce further measures for the control of cat colonies, and the neutering of domestic cats is one of them.
Amendments to existing ordinance covering animal welfare are to be considered at this week's full council meeting. Another will see a relaxation of rules regarding dogs on beaches. In the off-season when beaches are not being used in a tourist sense, dogs will be allowed on beaches so long as they are on leads.
There are also to be rules regarding animal hygiene, care, transport and sale. Establishments which sell pets will need to ensure that there is sufficient space for animals to exercise; this space will depend on the type of animal.
A regime of fines will range from 30 to 3,000 euros. The mildest offences - 30 to 300 euros - will include feeding animals except in what are described as "cases of extreme need" or by people who are authorised to feed cats in colonies. More serious offences (fines from 301 to 600 euros) will be, for example, for leaving an animal for more than twenty minutes inside a vehicle, so putting the animal's life at risk. The most serious offences, for which there will be fines from 601 to 3,000 euros, will include the organisation of animal fights.
The ordinance also envisages inspection of domestic animals and will stipulate that owners need to cooperate with the relevant authority that will check on an animal's welfare.
Meanwhile, on Sunday more than 2,500 people turned up to the SOS Animal festival in Puerto Portals. Close to 10,000 euros were raised for the SOS Animal Mallorca association, which helps animals in need across Majorca.