Local services
Municipal representative and animal protection officer Edina Szilágyi said that Debrecen is taking another step in animal protection. As promised, the dog park construction on Lehel Street will start today.
She said this is a long-awaited development by the area’s residents, which is now in the implementation phase. She added that the dog park construction was put out to tender around April – May this year through the Common Cause for Animal Protection Foundation, and two suitable sites have been found. This will create a dog park on Lehel Street and another on the Wesselényi housing estate.
Regarding other ongoing actions in the animal welfare field, the kennel development is underway, with the implementation of 5 new kennels in a few months, while cold storage chambers and the cat area are being renovated. In addition, animals can now be taken from the shelters free of charge instead of the previous HUF 6,000. She also encouraged anyone who wants to adopt an animal not to buy one but to adopt a new pet from a shelter.
As a positive example, the animal welfare officer said that the Dog Ride Picnic in Tapokert recently has already resulted in 2-3 puppies finding new owners.
Edina Szilágyi emphasized that education will be a significant priority. Together with animal protection organizations and educational institutions, they would like to develop a programme for the school year 2025 specifically aimed at kindergarten and primary school children. They will also organise some events and ask local councillors to consider animal protection when organising family days.
Municipal representative György Korbeák, the local government representative of the area, said that as a result of the cooperation of dog owners and non-dog owners, the site for the new dog park was chosen in Lehel Street, as several options were discussed at the junction of Sestakert and Újkert. The dog park will be built on almost 1,100 m2 in Újkert and 1,600 m2 in the Wesselényi housing estate. These two projects will fit in well with the six existing dog parks. The work will be completed in Lehel Street almost two weeks before starting on the Wesselényi estate. At the request of the residents, benches and drinking fountains will be installed on Lehel Street, and an agility course with several play areas will be installed on the Wesselényi estate.
He said the two projects cost close to HUF 20 million. The development on the border of Újkert and Sestakert will also create a community space where dog owners can meet each other. He added that an essential aspect of the area’s designation was to develop a dog park in a green area with trees.
The details were presented at a press conference by municipal representative and animal protection officer Edina Szilágyi and local government representatives György Korbeák, Dániel Barcza and Sándor Szűcs.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
