The company tasked with removing 700 wilf foul from Torrevieja street has withdrawn from its contract

The company that had proposed to capture approximately 700 roosters, hens, and poultry from the streets of Torrevieja has withdrawn from the contract.

The Council is now required to propose to the following bidding companies, a total of seven, whether they wish to assume the contract in the order in which their proposals were received by the contracting committee.

This waiver will postpone the municipal objective of eliminating the birds from numerous corners of public thoroughfares, which are not only prone to accidents but also lack veterinary oversight due to their natural breeding habits in urban areas.

Refuge

The Councillor for Animal Welfare, Concha Sala, emphasised that the Galicia-based company Econplanin, Xestión e Información Ambiental, justified its withdrawal by asserting that it was unaware that the captured animals had to be relocated alive to a sanctuary provided by the company. This is explicitly stated in the document.

The shelter or sanctuary must guarantee that the animals are removed without being euthanised, as mandated by current state animal welfare laws.

The reality is that the City Council has been engaged in the process of a contract for seven months, with an investment of just over €16,000, excluding VAT. The proposed award to the company that has withdrawn was announced in May.

In the interim, the urban areas where gallinaceous birds have been most prevalent for an extended period have experienced a decline in both their population and the size of their typical urban habitat. They have also expanded and are still finding new territories to conquer. For instance, a portion of the “core” of the undeveloped Villa Amalia area has “jumped” to the abandoned verdant area of La Veleta.

Also, the population of these birds has increased in the verdant areas of the San Roque neighbourhood, where the new park and garden maintenance and upkeep teams are unable to access. This is exacerbated by the fact that certain residents continue to feed the poultry, whether in this area or in the parks of La Estación, Parque de las Naciones, and Molino del Agua, among others.