Harmony Travels Projects

As many dog owners I love being by and in the sea and in the natural environment, walking in the woods, or why not on our local golf course! In the evening’s lots of dog owners, joggers and young kids access one of our local golf courses to enjoy the green area. My brother, a golfer, couldn’t believe that anyone would be able to access the golf course with out having the intention to play golf! And less bringing my dog there that would for sure not happen in Sweden he said! Well probably not, in Sweden we have access to many green areas for the dogs, and let’s hope it stays like that! However in Mallorca this is a problem, we only have  very few green areas in the local community to “legally” access. 

So my “mission” (impossible as a dog friend of mine calls it!) for dogs and green areas started by me hearing, beginning of 2007, that the local council had changed the laws on the dogs and the news was not good!
Basically you are not allowed to take your dog anywhere and where you are allowed they must always be on the lead. They have forbidden them to be in any green zones…but they do not want them on the street either –doing their toilets and play- so where should they be??

The rules they have applied are contradictory because on one hand they say we must take care of our animals, and not make them anti sociable, but on the other hand they are not allowed anywhere, so how will they then learn how to be sociable with other dogs and people?!

In my area, Calvia community, we have now 2 secret police who go around fining people that are not obeying all these new rules...they are hiding in their car and in the bushes to get to you in case you have your dog off the lead or do not pick that poop up and if you do not carry empty poop bags with you… you will get fined!

This is great news, something needed to be done to all the irresponsible people out there. However why not start with cleaning up the pavements we walk on?! And just how many poop bags does one need to carry and does it secure people from picking it up??? Why not help people by setting up stands with poop bags, like they have done in Palma center!

A thought, shouldn’t the police check the tourist for a poop bag too…because there are no public toilets available for them either when they are out walking, along the lovely walk path the Politian’s have created…so should they also be fined for that…I can read the headlines in the different countries of those tourists… not good publicity for the island!

Anyway, I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard many of my friends having been picked up by the police and escorted (?!) to their house like terrorists, because who carries an identity card on you when you are out walking the dog…I’m don't!

So one day when I saw these policemen in their car, parked by a green park in my small village, I went over to speak to them. I asked them what in the world they were doing there, eying up a park, not for pedophiles but for caring dog owners! I told them that I could not believe that my taxes goes to have 2 secret police spying on me and my dog in a green park, where we do no harm what so ever and when we got so many problems in the world such as; wars, terrorists, starvations, Aids, big family problems with drug abuse, family and street violence etc!!
Where have our priorities gone?!

I told them I just want my tax money to be spent in some common sense and surely that is not spying on me and my dog –in a green area?!  They agreed on most of what I said but still they did not understand “the concept” of being a dog owner and being part of the society. So changes needs to be done…we need to help them open up “their” consciousness!

Ok, so apart from the green areas and the parks where else aren’t the dogs allowed; on the beaches, even though they love the sand & water and suffer by the immense heat as we do! They are totally banned on all the beaches, all year around, and as one female resident said, to my surprise, that dogs do not belong close to or in the water….??? She also told me they should be in the country side, like her 2 dogs and this she said with a very serious face on…So this is some of the old thinking that we have to overcome…

They are not really welcomed either, especially big dogs, in the coffee places & most restaurants. I always find it amusing and annoying at the same time, when I ask in a restaurant if I can sit there with my dog and they ask me “how big is the dog?” What has that got to do with it?

Even though my dog weights 32 Kg she will always be less noticeable than any small dog or child due to her incredible good nature!  

How many parents don’t leave their children with a nanny to try to get some quality time together over a nice romantic dinner…but all they get is the noise and misbehavior and interruption by other people’s children…and nobody likes that not even the ones who have children of their own!

All we have to think about is that all dog owners are responsible for their own dog as any parent is for their child’s behavior. And as the law says let they be “presumed innocent until proven guilty”!

However back to my story again…I decided that I was NOT going to let “them” ignore us, dog owners, any more something needed to be done and I was going to do something about it! I decided I was going to see the local Politician but before I went up there I realized I also wanted more green areas for us to access so I decided I might as well bring that up too when I was there!

You see, I have found the perfect place in our village to make an open green park; for everyone to enjoy, people and animals. The area is the one between 2 villages in Calvia municipal; Son Ferrer and El Toro. (Click to see Google Map) The area reaches, on one side, all along the coast line from Playa Portals Vells and all the way to El Toro and has the most beautiful views that we all should be able to enjoy.

As I started writing down my ideas to the local mayor Carlos Delgado I realized that the area would be perfect to promote a winter tourism season here. As I kept on writing my ideas were flowing and suddenly I had a whole project on my hands… However the final part is; I want to create an area where people can come and relax in and bring their dogs if they wish.           

Since I want to promote the well being of people I want them to have the options of either taking a bus (which I promote should leave every 10 min. in high season and every 20 min. in off season), rent a bike (should be set up as an alternative to taking the car for residents and tourists) or walk along the path from one village to another. No need to stress as there are lots of options for everyone’s taste!

I want to promote an awereness so that tourists & their dogs can come to this island and enjoy it all and connect with us residents and our dogs in a perfect harmony. The end  result will be a better understanding between people and animals and respect for the land!

I have now been speaking to the Politician’s for a full year, funnilyy enough I presented my first documents last year on the 5th of June 2007 and only this year  found out that it is  “environmental” day!  I’m sure that is a good sign for what I’m doing!

For the moment, all the talks I have held have gone incredible well,  over my expectations, and I hope it will continue like that so the end result will be there for us all to see and enjoy.

I thank you for taking your time reading this section and if you want to help me in my cause I would be very grateful! 
 

Kind Regards