Gesplan strengthens its technical team to address animal protection and welfare

The public company Gestión y Planeamiento Territorial y Medioambiental (Gesplan), attached to the Canary Government’s Ministry of Territorial Policy, Cohesion and Waters, is boosting its technical team and projects related to animal protection and welfare. For almost a year, Gesplan has created a dedicated directorate for this field, reorganising its internal structure to collaborate with public administrations and ensure compliance with all legal requirements.

The presentation ceremony was attended by Manuel Miranda, Councillor for Territorial Policy, Cohesion and Waters and President of Gesplan’s Board of Directors; Miguel Ángel Pérez, Gesplan’s CEO; Nieves Lady Barreto, Councillor for Presidency, Public Administrations, Justice and Security; as well as regional, island and local authorities, technicians, experts and various collectives. José Ramón Becerra Carollo, Director of Animal Rights at the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 30, also delivered a technical lecture on recent legislative changes.

“In recent years the company has undertaken a deep process of professionalisation and modernisation, reflected in the Strategic Plan Sendero 31, which sets the roadmap for Gesplan up to its 40th anniversary in 2031. The plan not only guides economic growth but also our commitment to social and environmental impact,” said Councillor Miranda.

He added that this commitment materialises today in the new Animal Welfare Directorate, created to respond to a changing reality and increasingly advanced legislation such as Law 7/2023 on the protection of animal rights and welfare.

“Beyond mere regulatory compliance, this step represents something deeper—a way of understanding territory and coexistence, because animal welfare is part of collective well‑being, sustainability and respect for the environment we want to build,” he continued.

“Therefore, today’s strategy is not just another document; it is a pledge to integrate animal welfare into public planning, education, participation and civic culture in the Canary Islands.”

Statements from Gesplan Leadership

Miguel Ángel Pérez, Gesplan’s CEO, explained that the new directorate aims to meet the demand of Canary public administrations to incorporate the new protocols and procedures established by legislation, all aligned with Strategic Plan Sendero 31. He highlighted that the directorate currently manages 14 contracts from seven institutions, amounting to over €4.1 million, a figure that has doubled compared with the previous year.

“The projects we are executing cover animal protection centre management, cat‑colony oversight, public‑health facilities, wildlife protection and the development of animal‑evacuation plans,” Pérez noted. “We have a staff of about 60 professionals from diverse backgrounds and have signed roughly 15 collaboration agreements with various collectives to involve them and understand their main demands and needs.”

José Ramón Becerra, Director of Animal Rights at the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 30, stressed that public policies evolve alongside society.

“Spanish society has changed; the perception and bond between humans and animals have evolved. More than 70 % of the population believes animals feel pain and fear like humans, and 95 % consider their pets as family members. This is no coincidence,” he said.

“Society has been organising for years to collect stray animals, manage adoptions, sterilise and deworm pets—often at their own expense of time and money. In this context, institutions must rise to the occasion and turn those demands into law.”

He praised Gesplan’s work and highlighted the potential for collaboration between the public company and local authorities, emphasizing the need for a shared mission to reduce abandoned animals and improve cat‑colony management.

Alejandro Suárez, Director of Animal Welfare at Gesplan, explained that although activities have intensified over the past year, Gesplan has been providing these services for several years.

“Our main goal is to work hand‑in‑hand with all public administrations that request our collaboration to fulfil the updated regulations, which now guarantee stronger animal protection,” he said.

He reported that Gesplan‑partnered centres currently house more than 300 dogs and 200 cats, have registered over 450 cat colonies, performed more than 1,300 sterilisations, and facilitated around 12,000 animal adoptions.

The event concluded with recognition of roughly thirty public administrations, associations and collectives for their work and collaboration with Gesplan, especially in recent years.

Objectives and Services

Objectives
The new Animal Welfare Directorate seeks to promote, develop and boost actions that apply national, regional and local legislation on the management of abandoned or lost animals. Its aims include:

• Collecting and sheltering abandoned or stray animals found in public spaces or natural environments.
• Promoting the adoption of ownerless animals housed in protection centres.
• Encouraging responsible ownership and care of domestic animals.
• Managing legally established cat colonies administered by public authorities.
• Implementing policies that achieve the goals set out by animal‑welfare legislation.

Services
Within its statutory scope, the directorate can provide:

• Collection and transport of lost or abandoned animals.
• Comprehensive management of animal‑protection centres, including veterinary care.
• Coordination of foster care and adoption processes for all sheltered animals.
• Integral management of cat colonies and control of community‑cat populations.
• Public‑health‑related projects.
• Educational programmes on responsible animal ownership.
• Emergency‑evacuation projects for domestic animals.
• Management of wildlife‑recovery centres.