Management of the Badajoz Animal Protection Center is set for a major change after Athisa Medio Ambiente, the company responsible for operating it, announced that it would withdraw from the service on September 15. The decision follows months of criticism from political parties and animal welfare organizations over conditions at the facility. Complaints included insufficient shade and exposed water troughs, along with poor water quality and inadequate cleaning in some areas.
Athisa Medio Ambiente, which has overseen the center since December 2024, confirmed that its departure coincides with the end of an extraordinary extension period that began after its original contract expired. The company defended its record, noting that 265 dogs and 143 cats were adopted during its tenure. It also acknowledged persistent challenges: structural limitations and overcrowding forced temporary intake restrictions, while a recent infectious outbreak was managed under veterinary guidance.
One of Athisa’s most pressing concerns was the intermittent lack of basic resources, particularly a stable water supply for cleaning. Despite these setbacks, the company says it invested its own resources to make improvements whenever possible. It firmly denies social media allegations that animals were abandoned or euthanized under its management. Athisa says all animals received daily food and veterinary care, with staff providing necessary attention throughout its administration.
The city council, led by the Partido Popular (PP), has acknowledged that the shelter’s new contract remains “in the process of publication” and is expected to be announced soon. Officials also point to a planned project to upgrade and expand the center, with new equipment and a water treatment plant. The project was included in the municipal budgets for both 2024 and 2025. Municipal sources say the September 15 end date was anticipated from the outset: the current arrangement was always intended as a temporary solution after the tender process failed.
The infrastructure plan also responds to rising abandonment levels and pressure on a center described as too small for the number of animals it receives. The city has put the expansion and improvement works out to tender, including reforms to auxiliary animal enclosures attached to the basic building. The project budget is €194,387, and the work is scheduled to take three months. Bidders had 20 calendar days to submit offers through Spain’s Public Sector Procurement Platform. The construction contract is separate from the contract to manage the shelter.
A separate emergency contract allocated €90,000 for a compact wastewater-treatment plant and a new wastewater collector after problems with the center’s existing system. The contract documentation linked the intervention to an outbreak of several diseases affecting animals housed at the facility. This wastewater work is distinct from the broader expansion project. It also shows the center faces capacity constraints alongside infrastructure needs.
Opposition parties, but, have treated the company’s exit as evidence of deeper problems. Unidas por Extremadura’s regional spokesperson, Irene de Miguel, called the departure positive, arguing that Athisa managed the shelter without sufficient guarantees for animal safety. She cited inadequate shade and a lack of potable water, along with poor conditions during heatwaves, and urged the city to use the transition to adopt a more humane, quality-focused management model. The Socialist Party (PSOE) echoed those concerns. Spokesperson Silvia González said Athisa’s own statement confirms many of the deficiencies the party and local volunteers have raised for years. The PSOE is demanding explanations about how the city handled periods when the shelter could not accept more animals, and what it did to ensure strays were collected during those times. The party also criticized repeated budget allocations for a new municipal kennel, with no progress on the project’s tender.
The shelter’s management arrangements have remained temporary while the long-term contract is pending. Hoy reported that an animal-protection organization was operating the center after being the only organization to submit an offer. The arrangement was not yet a definitive multi-year solution. The procurement decision so remains separate from the municipal construction works.
Other groups, including PACMA, have noted that Athisa Medio Ambiente has faced controversies in other Spanish municipalities. These included administrative proceedings in Bahía de Cádiz and Logroño. In Granada, municipal inspections led to the temporary relocation of animals; in Valencia, animal welfare associations criticized the municipal shelter tender process.
Recent legal disputes involving public officials and the handling of sensitive cases have also drawn attention in Spain. One example is the ongoing investigation into a former police official’s conduct, detailed in this report on a high-profile legal case.
Animal shelters in Spain are typically managed by municipal authorities or under contracts with private companies. In recent years, the sector has faced scrutiny over standards of care and transparency in operations. Questions have also been raised about the adequacy of public funding. Badajoz’s situation shows the difficulty of maintaining impressive services amid contract disputes and resource constraints. As the city prepares a new tender, animal welfare advocates and local residents will be watching closely, given the shelter’s role in managing stray and abandoned animals in the region.
