GAIA asks deputy for animal welfare

After a survey with sixty questions and ten spearheads, Gaia has drawn up a ranking of the most animal-friendly cities and municipalities in our province. Decisive factors in this were, among other things, whether there is an animal welfare alderman, the policy on stray cats, the animal-friendly control of the population of city pigeons or the approach to animals at fairs and even the fireworks policy.

Ostend scores best in this regard: the coastal city achieves 84 percent, closely followed by Kortrijk and Torhout. Zuienkerke does not make it half, only 42 percent, and Oostrozebeke and Ardooie also go with their heels over the ditch in that survey.

Competent aldermen and commissioner

Still too few municipalities have an alderman specifically competent for animal welfare, says Gaia. A deputy with the same authority would even be an excellent thing to assist cities and municipalities in that policy, says the animal rights organization.