More than 4,000 signatures to demand that El Campello manage the feral cat colonies

More than 4,000 signatures were delivered to El Campello Town Hall yesterday, Thursday 10th September, demanding that the local PP government meet its duty to protect and manage the municipality’s feline colonies.

A local neighbour concerned about the situation launched the initiative, with support from local animal rights groups APAC and Whitinas Cats. The petition demands full compliance with current regulations.

The ethical management and control of feline colonies using the TNR method is a direct legal requirement for local councils. However, up to now, this public responsibility has fallen on citizens and animal shelters, who have covered all costs in time, effort and resources.

Alongside the signatures, the petition asks the Councillor for Public Health and Environment, Marcos Martínez, to assume his responsibility and stop putting the issue on the back burner. Organisers highlighted official data showing total inaction, stating the local authority carried out just five sterilisations in 2024, zero between 2025 and 2026, and has been without a valid public contract since late 2023.

Financial mismanagement worsens this operational paralysis. The local council was forced to return almost 80% of a provincial subsidy in 2024 and was subsequently excluded from receiving these funds in 2025 and 2026. El Campello is the only municipality in the region left without these funds, a failure that fosters uncontrolled overpopulation and hurts community life.

Organisers noted that claims that the authority is working on the matter are unjustifiable while sterilisations are halted and funding is lost. They stressed that this burden cannot continue to rest on individuals and charities, stating they are only asking for strict compliance with current legislation. Esquerra Unida-Unides Podem councillor Pedro Mario Pardo also attended the handover.

The move follows protests last weekend in Alicante, where cat welfare organisations took to the streets to demand that the municipality complies with animal welfare legislation regarding feline colonies. The protest, organised by Senderos Felinos, the Association of Feline Colonies, and SOS Animal Aid, formed part of a nationwide campaign held across 38 Spanish cities.