Valencia Launches City-Wide animal โฃwelfare Study with University collaboration
VALENCIA,โ SPAINโ – The Valencia city Council is โคpartnering with CEU Cardenalโฃ Herrera University tooโ conduct a comprehensive study โon urban โขanimal coexistence, aiming โคto solidify Valencia’s โขposition as a responsibleโ “Pet Friendly”โข city. Councilor Juan Carlos Caballero announcedโ the initiative thisโ week following a meeting with over 50 student and volunteer participants.
The โค”macro-concentrate” on animal welfare will involve โvolunteers carrying out โขthree surveyโค models acrossโฃ Valencia’sโข districts and neighborhoods. These โฃsurveysโ will assess the relationship between residents and their โpets in various public spaces, includingโข canine recreational areas, parks, streets, and establishments.
“It โisโค the first seriousโฃ and rigorous study on urban-animal coexistence in Valรจncia that we carry outโ withโข theโค aim of consolidating ourselves as a friendly city with pets – Pet Friendly – from duty, without conflictsโ or improvisations,”โข Caballero stated.
The project, supportedโฃ by a 10,000 euro investment, โคwill โprovide a “real photograph” of the current situation, informing future actions andโ policy reviews. Volunteers, identifiable โฃby blue t-shirts,โค will โbeginโ dataโค collection this month, also soliciting proposals โขand ideas โขfrom residents.
Esperanza Montaner, โdirector of the CEU Cardenal Herrera Veterinary Hospital in Valencia, and โJesรบsโ Cardells, veterinary professor and coordinator of the Saigasโข Research Group at the university, joined Caballero in presenting the โฃinitiative.
Caballero emphasized the broader benefits of investing in animalโข welfare, stating, “when โinvested โฃin animals we are also investing in the โhuman being, in a unique worldwide concept of health, the so-called One Health;โ that is, we are investing in coexistence, public health and the well-being of all.”
the study will evaluateโ Valencia’sโค infrastructure, accessibility, and overallโข adaptation to the challenges of being a Pet โฃFriendly city.