A turning point on stray animals and animal welfare in Sassari. The Municipality dictates the line on the phenomenon and illustrates the guidelines of its action. The framework, in recent days at Palazzo Ducale, was the Environment Commission chaired by Walter Pani. This is a structural change that, as reported by the councilor and deputy mayor Pierluigi Salis, passes through the establishment of a control room that will have its center with the operational telephone number, active 24 hours a day, managed by the barracelli. "This new structure - Salis reports - will guarantee clarity in the steps and will reduce the margins of error and the buck-passing between services". Among the projects is the reopening of the university veterinary clinic, currently closed, for which an agreement is being sought with the university of Sassari and, speaking of agreements, the administration is already reactivating one with a private clinic to ensure coverage of emergency veterinary interventions. Measures to contain the cost of stray animals, estimated at around 800,000 euros per year, but we must also add the sums for extraordinary interventions such as orthopedic operations and veterinary expenses not covered by the ASL.

And in 2024, as recalled by Carmelo Longo, head of the Special Operations Service, over 700 interventions were recorded, of which 530 for stray dogs and 184 for other animals, including wild boars, pigs, horses and donkeys. In the meantime, the renovation plan for the municipal dog kennel is underway, for which extraordinary maintenance work for 150,000 euros is being awarded while the management contract, expiring in September, is being reviewed.

"The company - explains Giovanni Pisoni, manager of the Environment sector - that currently manages the kennel does not cover essential services such as purifier, lighting and solar panels. We are preparing a new specification to merge these aspects and improve efficiency and costs". But the goal is to build a new municipal kennel for which the design process has begun. It should also be noted that a new agreement with the animal protection associations will soon be concluded to strengthen the presence in the area. Difficulties with microchipping remain: "In 2023 only 350 microchips were carried out - underlines the councilor - an insufficient figure that we absolutely want to improve". Then there is an exponential increase in feline colonies: "With 42 active colonies and a growing number of associations involved - concludes Salis - it is essential to define a clear regulatory framework to enhance those who work in the field and ensure effective coordination".

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