Approximately 200 people gathered last Sunday at Alicante's Explanada, near the Peret kiosk, to express their dissatisfaction with the situation of feline colonies in the city. The demonstration, which took place despite the rain, served to demand that the City Council comply with animal welfare law.

During the protest, attendees chanted slogans such as “cats are unprotected by Alicante City Council” and “not looking is abandoning,” and even called for the resignation of Mayor Luis Barcala (PP). Various animal welfare associations, both from the city and other municipalities in the province, joined the call, with the Asociación Colonias Felinas Alicante (Acofal) playing a prominent role.

Antonio Ripoll, president of the Felinos Lo Morant association, stated that the City Council “is systematically violating the animal welfare law” and has “done absolutely nothing” to manage the colonies, despite legal obligations. Ripoll criticized that meetings with associations have been presented as a “starting from scratch,” interpreting it as a tactic to “delay things.”

The problem escalated in early March, during intense rainfall, when Acofal reported the removal of essential elements, such as shelters, from a feline colony in Ereta Park, near Santa Bárbara Castle. According to the entity, this action by the municipal cleaning service left the animals without shelter, food, or water.

The animal welfare representative also questioned the validity of municipal studies on the colonies, considering them based on “outdated data.” He emphasized that the City Council is responsible for sterilizing, identifying, and vaccinating street cats, tasks that, according to him, are not being carried out in Alicante. Furthermore, he denounced that municipal actions are limited to “one campaign a year paid with Diputación funds and sporadic sterilizations,” deeming it insufficient and pointing out the absence of a mandatory management plan.