VILA DOS GATOS – COMUNITY PROJECT BY ARA

In the current times, we all face difficulties and challenges that are sometimes difficult to overcome. These difficulties affect everyone, and the number of animals on the streets is constantly increasing.
One of the greatest needs at this time is a massive sterilization of street animals to prevent the situation from becoming even more complicated.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬?
There is an ongoing project, already legislated, called Project CED (Capture, Sterilize, Return), but unfortunately it is only applied to cats. This project consists of the Capture, sterilization and Return of animals to their environment. It also consists in identifying all the colonies to monitor them and thus be able to provide food, shelter and medical treatment, when necessary, to these animals.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨?
We contacted Loulé Municipal Council and presented the proposal – which has since been accepted. It is also important to mention that the same identity had allocated a support of 40,000€ to the shelter, which we thank, and which will be used in this project. Our goal is to neuter 1500 cats annually, because, in our opinion, less than this amount will not solve the problem in the short term. The amount given to us is a great help, for which we are grateful, but it will unfortunately not cover this high number of sterilizations and all the necessary material, such as traps which are quite expensive. We have therefore taken the initiative to contact all the Parish Councils in the municipality to present the project. Although we are still waiting for some of them to respond, the response has been quite positive. Meetings have already been held with five of them, and two of them have already signed a protocol, which means that we will receive a monetary value from each one, allowing us to work together accordingly. One of the major goals is to develop this project with the community. We’ve contacted Silves Prison, which has offered to collaborate, on a voluntary basis, with the construction of shelters for cats – and four have already been finished.
These shelters will have two different typologies: a T5, for smaller colonies, and a T10, for larger colonies. Not all colonies will need the implementation of one of these shelters because some already have a place for the animals to spend the night.
The construction of the shelters requires a lot of material, mainly wood, and, with the sharp rise in the price of wood, it was necessary to seek support and donations. We contacted the companies INFRAMOURA, INFRAQUINTA and INFRALOBO, which immediately offered to help and will provide the necessary materials for the construction of the shelters. The protocols have already been signed and the first four shelters are ready.

ARA will be responsible for providing food for the animals through food collection campaigns organized by the shelter, through partnerships that we have with ANIMALIFE, KIWOKO among others, where volunteers, students and employees who know the location of the colonies will be inserted.
This project is taking place in the Municipality of Loulé which has, due to its extensive area, thousands of cats.
We have a partnership with a veterinary clinic where sterilizations will be done and all necessary care provided to the animals.
We will also be responsible for marking the colonies and photographing all the animals that are sterilized for later accounting and population control.
For this project we need more volunteers living in the area to help us in the identification of colonies, their maintenance and participation in food collection campaigns.
We also accept donations of food, shelters and, if you have and can spare, traps and carriers.
We thank all those who collaborate, those who offer their time to this cause, all the donations and we hope we can count on everyone to help these animals that, in one way or another, belong to all of us.

Thank you!