Ostend animal shelter sounds the alarm: “Urgent money needed from the city”

She still hopes that a mediator will find a solution that will cost the city less money.

“Conditions met”

The animal shelter in Ostend is in a deplorable condition. That is why in 2017 it started knocking on the door of the city for money for a new building.

“The condition was a building permit, which we submitted and obtained,” says the animal shelter. “The second condition was to start a crowdfunding with the people of Ostend. We did that. We received a huge response, for which thanks. Today we would normally receive the contributions from the city of Ostend. They come back to that with the fallacy : ‘It belongs to the previous board, but we have no business with that'”.

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City does not want to come up with money

The building permit expires next week, but the current city council does not intend to give the non-profit organization half a million euros.

“We have major challenges in this city,” says alderman Silke Beirens. “Even though animal welfare comes first, give half a million euros to a non-profit organization for the erection of a building. We as a city cannot do that in this situation.”

Mediator for solution?

Renovating is not a solution, says the animal shelter. The city hopes that, together with the mediator, they will come to a solution that will cost the city treasury less.

There are more than 85 cats and more than 30 dogs in the shelter.