KRALENDIJK – In a recent meeting of the Island Council of Bonaire, M21 faction raised questions concerning the island’s dog-related issues. 

The Public Entity Bonaire established a task force in March 2022 to identify and address these issues. However, based on the responses received from this task force, it appears that they have not taken the dog problem seriously or conducted any in-depth investigations themselves. 

According to dog expert Nobert Tadema, instead, the Public Entity refers to a study conducted by Wolfs Compagnie in July 2021, which is not specifically tailored to Bonaire’s current situation. 

“Moreover, the task force repeatedly emphasizes that the problem is complex and requires time to devise a proper plan, while not recognizing their own negligence in law enforcement and animal control”. 

Swift Action

M21 urges swift action to enforce existing legislation, especially considering that Bonaire has had legislation in place since 1998 that needs to be upheld. Additionally, they propose following the example of Aruba, which has implemented effective measures to address the dog problem. M21 suggests launching a comprehensive awareness campaign to ensure dog owners comply with the law. The campaign would allow a grace period for compliance before strict enforcement begins.