KRALENDIJK – The political party M21 has once again drawn attention to what it describes as the urgent issue of uncontrolled and stray dogs on the island of Bonaire, through a letter addressed to the Executive Council. 

In its letter, the party points to the continued the lack of enforcement of existing regulations concerning this matter. “This lax approach has raised concerns about public safety and animal welfare,” states the party. It points out that despite guidelines in place since 1998, providing directions for dog owners to prevent their animals from being left unsupervised in public areas, instances of freely roaming dogs and incidents persist, posing risks to the community and livestock. 

While discussions have taken place for years between animal organizations and local authorities, the lack of concrete action, according to the party, has hindered significant progress in tackling the problem. Recent efforts to establish a ‘Dog Working Group’ to propose solutions have also yielded no tangible results.

Enforcement

Local animal advocates emphasize that proper enforcement of the existing regulations could greatly contribute to reducing dog-related problems, including biting incidents and harm to livestock. Furthermore, the concept of an ‘animal police’ has been proposed to ensure swift response to concerns related to dogs.

“As the debate continues, the community eagerly awaits decisive action from local authorities to address the challenges posed by stray dogs on the island,” states M21 in its letter, urging the Executive Council to take concrete steps.