The Flemish animal shelters received a record number of 48,000 animals last year. This is evident today from figures from Flemish Minister of Animal Welfare Ben Weyts (N-VA). Because the asylums are also affected by the sharply increased energy prices, it doubles the structural financial support that they receive. In concrete terms, this means an extra amount of around 700,000 euros for the 185 recognized asylums.
The Flemish shelters provided a record number of more than 48,000 animals in 2021. This mainly concerns cats (25,926) and dogs (7,642). But also for birds (5,623), rodents (1,702) and many other species. In 2020, more than 38,000 animals ended up in a shelter in Flanders, the year before about 39,300 animals.
Because animal shelters are also finding it difficult to pay the energy bills, Minister Weyts is making a one-off extra amount of approximately 700,000 euros available. This support is in addition to the annual amount of approximately 700,000 euros and the compensation that asylum seekers receive if they take in animals that were seized by the Flemish Animal Welfare Inspectorate or by the police.
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Animal shelters are invaluable to animal welfare.
The shelters have already received a total of 1.7 million euros in financial support this year, according to Weyts. The Flemish government asks the shelters in exchange to collect all animals to be adopted on the website, among other things www.adopteereendier.be, where almost 2,400 animals are currently looking for a new home. Via the website, all Flemish people who want to bring an animal into their home receive a detailed overview of the animals that stay in an animal shelter and they can first take a look there instead of going to a breeder.
Minister Weyts visited Kaggevinne Forrest & Friends, an animal shelter for farm animals. “This is a completely different industry,” said the minister. “You don’t just place a cow with a private individual. And just the space you need to accommodate such farm animals, in this shelter of about fourteen hectares, is a serious cost.”
“Animal shelters are invaluable for animal welfare,” said Minister Weyts. “It is therefore only logical that we support them and thus also encourage them to further improve their operation.”
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