Benalmadena dog owners have until December 30 to register their pet's DNA profile, says councillor Alicia Laddaga
According to the town’s by-laws, dogs must be microchipped and have a DNA profile or their owners could face fines from January 2019.
Earlier this week Sra Laddaga issued a reminder to the public, saying that the voluntary period for residents to register their pets’ DNA profile, obtained from a blood test performed at authorised veterinary clinics, will end with the year. The Dog DNA Campaign (Campaña de ADN canino) has been running since June 1.
The councillor went on to explain that “Each genetic profile is unique, and cannot be removed or altered. It can show who the animal’s owner is even when the microchip has been destroyed, which means it is an indispensable tool in the fight against abandoned and abused pets”.
Sra Laddaga added: “It also helps us to find and fine dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets in streets and parks”.
A list of veterinary clinics authorised to carry out the DNA blood tests is available, in Spanish, at the Malaga Association of Veterinary Surgeons’ (Colegio de Veterinarios de Málaga) website http://www.colegioveterinariosmalaga.es/servicios/al-ciudadano/centros-veterinarios/clinicas-veterinarias where pet owners can also obtain the necessary voucher (vale) for the test, or they can enquire about this with the vet.
Benalmadena’s councillor for Health, Alicia Laddaga, ended by saying, “With this campaign, we are stepping up the protection of our pets, and reaffirming our ‘NO’ to abusing and abandoning animals”.