Winter has come to Saranda. The days are colder and darker — especially for the hundreds of street dogs and cats shivering and starving in the shadows.

Felix, a visitor to town, found the days-old puppy pictured above tied in a plastic bag with its litter mate. In the absence of any city resources, Felix reached out to the few tireless volunteers — notably Saranda Dog Services — who are always there for animals in need.

Meanwhile on the promenade, the Saranda Christmas Market dazzles with glittering decorations, a Christmas tree, ice rink, carousel, 20 wooden huts, and stages for DJs and events. Construction is booming. Roads in and around town are being torn up and widened in anticipation of the influx of the next wave of tourists.

Progress is all well and good. But the city lags far behind Tirana and Shkoder to the north in animal welfare, and even farther behind other European cities it aspires to emulate.

With perhaps a third of the money spent on a Christmas market that lasts a couple of weeks, the mayor could probably have funded a shelter for an entire year.

Until the city’s leaders make animal welfare a priority, all roads leading to Saranda — improved or not — will lead tourists to a town that seems content to look the other way when confronted with animal misery.