Spain: Stop persecuting stray cats and animal aid workers

In Benalmadena and Torremolinos anyone feeding stray cats is threatened with a heavy fine or even imrisonment. This allows cat haters to persecute animal aid workers. Most stray cats in these areas are neutered and have been neutered by small welfare groups and individuals. Another anomoly here is that the Spanish by law prohibits anyone neutering a stray cay except via their system and a form at the town hall. To do so otherwise is classed by them as illegal!!! Farcical indeed! So any welfare groups or charities neutering are allegedly breaking the law!

For obvious reasons I can not name names but one small charity alone has spent over 10,000 euros raised in the UK to help neuter and care for the stray cats whilst I know of several individuals who do all of this out of their own pockets, and one is Spanish. The cats cause no trouble and many were originally abandoned yet one friend recently who feeds several neutered groups daily and loves them all was seriously harrassed yet again and threatened with imprisonment.

This is outgrageous and this by-law and the attitude and activites of the authorities must be changed. At present they just want stray cats to starve to death - a slow and painful death - and we do not want this kind of attitude or by-law in an EU member country. It is uncivilized and inhumane. This by law exists throughout Spain. Benalmadena and Torremolinos being particularly zealous in applying it.