Villagonzalo Pedernales approves the ethical management of its feline colonies

The Villagonzalo Pedernales City Council has approved, by Plenary agreement on June 25, 2026, the ethical management program for feline colonies in the municipality, published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Burgos number 158, dated August 21, 2026. The text, signed on August 11 by the mayor-president María Purificación Ortega Ruiz, establishes a standardized procedure for the capture, sterilization, and return of community cats.

The program responds to Law 7/2023, of March 28, on the Protection of Animal Rights and Welfare, whose article 39.1 assigns the management of community cats to local administrations through feline colony management programs. As a reference framework, the document is based on the “DGDA Technical Guideline on Feline Population Management” and the “Feline Colony Management Manual for Local Entities,” as well as the “Framework Protocol” of the General Directorate of Agricultural and Livestock Production of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development of Castilla y León.

What is a feline colony and the TNR method

The regulation defines a feline colony, according to article 3.ñ) of Law 7/2023, as a group of cats of the species Felis catus that live in freedom or semi-freedom and that, due to their low or nonexistent degree of socialization, cannot be easily approached by humans. The TNR method (Trap-Neuter-Return), detailed in article 3.n), consists of the capture and health control of the animals, their surgical sterilization, marking, and their return to the colony of origin through non-harmful means and with the intervention of a registered veterinary professional.

The program aims to reduce problems associated with uncontrolled urban cats, stabilize the size of the colonies, and decrease the volume of animals admitted to shelters. It relies on the altruistic work of neighbors, groups, and associations, along with collaborating veterinarians.

Authorized collaborators and their functions

Any person, group, or association that commits to the care and attention of the animals will be considered an authorized collaborator. Each collaborator will be assigned a colony, with functions such as capture for registration and sterilization, the release of the animals, the controlled supply of food, and the sanitization of feeders and waterers.

• Capture of animals for registration and sterilization; if the cat is identified, the owner will be located within 2 days.
• Release of the animals once registered and sterilized.
• Supply of dry food, avoiding areas such as educational centers, health centers, playgrounds, or high-traffic roads.
• Control of the immigration of new specimens and reporting of incidents to the city council.

Applications shall be submitted to the municipal registry using Annex I (individuals) and II (associations or collectives), and any caregiver may cease their duties by providing a minimum of fifteen days’ notice.

Development, registration, and duration of the program

Collaborating veterinarians will perform identification via microchip and its registration in the Companion Animal Identification System Database of Castilla y León, under the ownership of the city council, in addition to sterilization, ear-tipping, and health control. A form will be completed for each specimen with data such as the colony of origin, capture and sterilization dates, description, and the result of the health evaluation.

The program will enter into force once its full text is published in the Official Provincial Gazette and will remain in effect for one year, renewing automatically if another is not approved to replace it.

Relevance for readers

With this initiative, Villagonzalo Pedernales joins in complying with state animal welfare regulations and provides its residents with a regulated and voluntary channel to participate in the care of community cats. The commitment to the TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) method represents an ethical and sustainable population control that reduces abandonment and improves coexistence in public spaces.

Source: Official Provincial Gazette of Burgos, no. 158, August 21, 2026, III. Local Administration, pp. 22-27 (official reference: BOPBUR-2026-03515).