San Luis, Santo Domingo Este. – The General Directorate of National Assets and the State Sugar Council CEA, represented by its Director of Preservation and Conservation, Mr. Bienvenido De Óleo, delivered this Tuesday through the formal act of possession the lands destined for the development of the City of Animals (City of Angels) to LASO Foundation, in the Municipal District of San Luis, municipality of Santo Domingo Este, Santo Domingo Province.
The delivery materializes the authorization ordered in March by President Luis Abinader and responds to the efforts initiated by the LASO Foundation since 2021 before the State Sugar Council (CEA) during the administration of César Cedeño.
A project with national impact: social, economic and tourist
City of Animals will be a comprehensive and self-sustaining complex for rescue, rehabilitation, treatment, shelter, and responsible adoption of animals in situations of abandonment or abuse. The master plan includes an Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, a Specialized Veterinary Hospital with surgeries, emergencies, and critical care, among other areas, an Adoption Center, Recreation Areas (parks and interactive areas for visitors and pets), the Mixed Training School (detection, companionship, therapy, guides; training of replicators), the Rapid Response Unit (vehicles and equipment for rescues), among other important areas.
In addition to its social mission, the project is emerging as a new tourist-family attraction in Greater Santo Domingo, with educational programs, guided tours, pet-friendly experiences, and adoption days, generating direct and indirect jobs in construction, veterinary services, wildlife management, environmental education, security, and operations; and boosting the local economy through the flow of visitors and suppliers.
The land will be delivered in phases of 100 tasks until five stages are completed. Phase 1 will enable the Animal Shelter; Phase 2, the Veterinary Hospital; and Phase 3, the Mixed Training School, followed by the other components.
Last week, Fundación LASO and the Regional International Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA) signed a pioneering agreement to evaluate and train rescued animals in service (K9) for the benefit of the country, one of the pillars of the project: to give a second chance to the animals, taking them off the streets and turning them into useful entities for society, with standards of well-being and dignity.
Lorenny Solano, president of Fundación LASO, stated: “With this inauguration, we are closer to the goal. Although the project will take several years, we will work tirelessly to rescue and save the greatest number of creatures that need us. Our biggest limitation has been not having a suitable place; that’s why this step is decisive. We aspire to soon enable an initial space for pet daycare and components that allow us to keep rescued animals in the conditions they deserve.”
The event was attended by the mayor of San Luis, Wendy Cepeda; architect Frank Recio, Jovanelly Lagares, founder of the IceDog ice cream parlor for dogs and cats, among other personalities.
Alongside this delivery, Fundación LASO maintains an active agenda of fundraising events to start the project, and is coordinating with international entities to manage the financing and collaboration for it.
