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locAl Friday 3 July 2020
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Aruba opens Dog Act Shelter

ORANJESTAD — As of July of crisis where there are al-
1st, 2020, The prime minister ready loads of preoccupa-
announced that Aruba’s Kill tions to attend to and yet
Cage has been replaced they have chosen to act
by the Dog Act Shelter. The upon the stray dog problem
shelter will be open for stray right now. According to the
dogs that are caught in the prime minister we’ve had
streets. They will be kept in more and more comments
the shelter to conform with from tourists with regards to
the Dog Act that was ad- the dogs in the streets. Visi-
opted June 15, 2015. tors come mainly from the
United States and many
Until now, The Dog Act have adopted stray dogs
could not be executed and carry a warm heart to
properly because of the the animals. Many of them
lack of a shelter, among are repeat visitors and be-
other things. The Dog Act cause they love our island
Shelter, or Centro di Control they will also express their
di Cacho, which means lit- discontent in matters like
erally Dog Control Center, the neglect of the animals.
is supposed to fill in this gap.
The idea is that dogs stay in The Law
the shelter until the owner The Dog Act, adopted
picks them up. They will unanimously by the Aruban
have to pay a fee for stay. Parliament, went into ef-
If dogs are not be picked fect on January 1, 2015.
up they will be euthanized. If you own a dog, what
Dogs that have microchips does this mean for YOU?
will be kept in the shelter
for ten days, whereas dogs 1. YOU must always
without a microchip will be keep your dog on YOUR
kept for three days. property! If your property
is not completely fenced,
There has been criticism you must use a dog run
about the future operations cable (of at least 10 me-
of the place because it will ters long) or a dog run (of
be open during set times at least 2 meters high and
only and therefore there 7 m²) for free movement of
is a risk that it will not offer the dog.
sufficient accessibility. Also
it has been mentioned, 2. Outside your prop-
that the place could turn erty, your dog must be on a
into an ‘animal dump’ just leash.
like the Kill Cage, which
was located on the exact 3. You are obligated
same spot before this cur- to provide proper care for
rent shelter opened. The your dog. This means: daily
Kill Cage put down animals sufficient and balanced
immediately causing turbu- meals; water must always
lence within the commu- be available; shelter from
nity, because of the cruelty sun, rain, and wind; and
and there was no time left medical care from a veteri-
for worried owners that lost narian when needed.
their dogs to trace them.
The stray dog problem has 4. Animal abuse, in-
been an issue for years cluding dog fighting, is
already on the island. In punishable as a criminal of-
2019, 4,000 stray dogs were fense.
put to sleep. The police
are entitled by law to fine Breaking this law can result
owners who leave their in a fine, incarceration of
dogs on the streets, but in the owner, and/or confis-
reality this does not hap- cation of your dog. Maxi-
pen often. Lately more and mum fine is Afl. 10,000 ($
more dogs are seen in the 5.714). Repeat offenders
streets due to owners leav- will receive higher fines.
ing gates open with all due Read the law in full for de-
consequences. tailed information: https://
www.plataformaleydica-
The government explains cho.org/wp-content/up-
that the Dog Act Shelter is loads/2014/09/Dog-ordi-
offering a solution in times nance-dec-2012.pdf. q