“The objective is to create conditions so that stray animals in the municipality can be treated, registered and then rehomed in the community”, said the mayor of Faro, Rogério Bacalhau.

The centre, located in the Guilhim area, in an isolated area in the parish of Santa Bárbara de Nexe, in the interior of the municipality, fills a gap that has been felt in Faro for decades.

“It is a project that, for those who have been here for a few years, as is my case, has always been much requested by the population”, admitted the mayor from Faro, noting that, outside the city area of the municipality, there are “packs of dogs that cause problems”.

Before, the municipality was unable to receive and treat stray animals, which were recovered in clinics and then handed over to animal support associations, but, from now on “it will be different”, said the municipal veterinarian in charge of the collection centre.

“We are able to receive these animals, respond more quickly, bring them here, where they will receive their first treatments and then fulfil the [quarantine] time they have to comply with, if they do not have electronic identification – there are still many animals like that -, they spend 15 days with us, do their identification, mandatory rabies vaccination, are sterilised and are sent for adoption. Which can be done here, but we will continue to rely on partner associations and kennels”, said Rúben Jerónimo.

The process of creating this centre, budgeted at €1.4 million, began in 2014, but was delayed after the attempt to build it on another piece of land was abandoned by the municipality.

“[As of] now, we will have a much more sustainable county, friendlier to the environment and friendlier to animals”, said Rogério Bacalhau.




The centre has capacity for 170 animals (120 dogs and 50 cats), including 42 collective 'boxes' in the kennel area and 16 in the cattery area.

The structure will also have outdoor circulation areas and two recreational parks for animals, in addition to administrative and treatment areas and veterinary medicine.

The work will also speed up the campaign 'CED - Capturar-Esterilizar-Devolver', which aims to sterilise felines, "another major problem in the municipality", stressed the municipal veterinarian.