Amsterdam is rolling out a heartwarming initiative to protect its smallest canal residents by investing €100,000 to install miniature wooden staircases—essentially “animal escape ladders”—along canal walls.
This compassionate measure responds to a troubling statistic reported by Dierenambulance Amsterdam: 19 cats drowned in the city’s canals over the past six months.
The motion, proposed by Judith Krom of the Party for the Animals and passed by the City Council on July 10, will see the city collaborate with Dierenambulance to pinpoint high-risk areas and install the ladders later this year.
Inspired by similar efforts in nearby Amersfoort—which plans to install around 300 such “cat stairs”—Amsterdam’s project reflects a growing trend of inclusive urban design that also addresses animal welfare.
Source: Independent
