The Mancomunidad de las Medianías of Gran Canaria promotes the project of the new regional animal shelter

The Association of Municipalities of the Medianías of Gran Canaria has taken a decisive step towards the materialization of the Regional Animal Shelter by awarding the drafting of the basic and execution project of the future facility to the Entity Engineering and European Projects SL. This project will provide the region with a modern, efficient infrastructure that respects animal welfare.

 

 

This is a meaningful and collective step: the construction of a long-awaited space, destined to become a symbol of progress, sensitivity, and territorial cooperation.

 

The project is not only a technical response to an obvious need, but also a political action that translates into concrete actions a firm will: that of building a region that is more just, more committed, and more respectful of the living beings with whom we share our territory.

 

The award of the technical contract was finalized following the corresponding administrative procedure and will involve the development of the architectural and technical design of the future shelter, a space designed to comprehensively address the needs of abandoned or homeless animals in the municipalities comprising the community.

 

Fully funded by the Gran Canaria Island Council through the 2024–2027 Cooperation Plan with the Mancomunidades (Communities) of Gran Canaria, the project drafting contract has an investment of approximately €41.000. This contract will allow for the development of the center's final design, based on the already approved preliminary project, and will realize the vision of a modern, functional facility that serves animal dignity.

 

The Regional Shelter will be built on a 10.000,01 m² plot of land located in the Lomo Gordo neighborhood, polygon 16, in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. A strategic location in the Medianías area. A state-of-the-art facility will be built on this land, designed to shelter, care for, rehabilitate, and provide a second chance to the most vulnerable animals.

 

The project was born under the new regulatory framework established by Law 7/2023, of March 28, on the protection of animal rights and welfare, which strengthens the role of local governments in this area. Faced with these new challenges, the Association of Municipalities of the Medianías of Gran Canaria has opted for a formula that exemplifies the value of intermunicipal cooperation: the joint provision of services as a way to optimize resources, unify criteria, and gain efficiency, sustainability, and territorial justice. This responds to a new legal, social, and ethical reality.

 

 

The planned facility will include separate spaces for dogs and cats, quarantine areas, an operating room, veterinary care rooms, administrative offices, volunteer and adoption spaces, and green areas and walking areas. All of this will be designed with a comprehensive approach, from energy sustainability to respect for the landscape, including accessibility, functionality, and, of course, animal welfare.

 

Furthermore, before the final draft of the project, the Commonwealth has launched a process of collecting updated data to estimate current and future demand for the service. This information will allow for the correct sizing of the infrastructure, anticipating evolving needs, and planning its development with a vision for the future.

 

“Today we take another step forward on a path that commits us as institutions and as a society: to build a regional animal protection model that combines sensitivity, rigor, and effectiveness,” said Marco Aurelio Perez, President of the Association and Mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. “The Regional Animal Shelter will be much more than a facility: it will be a meeting point between public responsibility and citizen empathy. A tool for the future, but also a symbol of what we are already building today: a more humane region.”

 

Once the Commonwealth has the technical document, it will put the works out to tender. The estimated cost will be €4 million and will receive financial support from the Gran Canaria Island Council through the Cooperation Plan with Commonwealths and Municipalities, as well as other public institutions.

 

With this award, the Association of Municipalities of the Medianías of Gran Canaria reaffirms its commitment to the development of shared public infrastructure, leveraging the synergies and efforts of its members to provide the best service to the people of the region.