On Tuesday, 7 October, the Consorci de la Ribera and the associations of municipalities of Ribera Alta, Ribera Baixa and Safor inaugurated the new Animal Shelter located in Tavernes de la Valldigna, which will serve 61 municipalities in the three regions. With a budget of €1,475,000, its construction was completed on schedule, and in recent weeks work has been carried out on equipping and fitting out the facilities.
The centre has capacity for more than 100 dogs and 100 cats. The spaces are distributed across different modules adapted to the conditions and needs of each animal, as well as communal courtyards. In addition, the building has a veterinary consultation room and rooms for training and meetings. Another area contains storage rooms for food, blankets and other items, and a room equipped for bathing the animals.
The Animal Shelter is located on a 3,035 square metre municipally-owned site within the El Golfo de Tavernes de la Valldigna industrial estate. From the moment it opens next Wednesday, it will be ready to operate at full capacity and ensure animal welfare.
The president of the Consorci de la Ribera, Josep Mur Díaz-Hellín, emphasised that the project is getting underway after almost a decade of constant work and explained how it will operate: “This collection and shelter service, which until now was provided by three associations and will now be taken over by the Consorci de la Ribera, goes beyond simply caring for the animals. It includes staff training, the development of awareness campaigns for the public and the promotion of volunteering. These lines of work will be rolled out progressively”.
The president of the Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta, Paqui Momparler Orta, expressed the institution’s commitment to treating animals with dignity and ensuring that their stay is temporary: “The purpose of this centre is clear: to temporarily take in abandoned animals with the aim of getting them adopted as soon as possible, always with their welfare in mind. What we are inaugurating today goes beyond a physical facility. It represents a collective commitment to animal welfare, shared responsibility and the values of empathy and solidarity that define us as a society. Every dog and cat that comes through this door will have a story behind it, and our task will be to help them write a new one, full of dignity and affection”.
The inauguration of these facilities marks the completion of the first part of a very ambitious project that will continue with the commissioning of another centre in l’Alcúdia, currently under construction with a budget of €1,475,000. The 4,053-square-metre site, owned by the municipality, is located in industrial estate 6, sector S-15. It is expected to be operational in early 2026.
The municipalities participating in the service are as follows. From Ribera Alta: Alcàntera de Xúquer, l’Alcúdia, Alfarb, Algemesí, Alginet, Alzira, Antella, Benifaió, Benimodo, Benimuslem, Càrcer, Carlet, Castelló, Cotes, l’Énova, Gavarda, Guadassuar, Llombai, Massalavés, Montroi, la Pobla Llarga, Rafelguaraf, Real, Sant Joanet, Sellent, Senyera, Sumacàrcer and Tous. From Ribera Baixa: Albalat de la Ribera, Corbera, Cullera, Favara, Fortaleny, Llaurí, Polinyà de Xúquer and Riola. From Safor: Ador, Alfauir, Almiserà, Almoines, l’Alqueria de la Comtessa, Barx, Bellreguard, Beniarjó, Benifairó de la Valldigna, Beniflà, Benirredrà, Castellonet de la Conquesta, Daimús, Guardamar de la Safor, Llocnou de Sant Jeroni, Miramar, Palma de Gandia, Palmera, Piles, Potries, Rafelcofer, el Real de Gandia, Ròtova, Tavernes de la Valldigna and Vilallonga.
