Iona Napier
CAMPAIGNERS are running out of time to save more than 30 abandoned dogs from being put down.
Pest control company Athisa is taking over a municipal pound in Motril on February 28, and any dogs not homed by then may be ‘sacrificed,’ according to a memo from the town hall.
Once the pound changes hands, Athisa will not actively seek adoption for the canines and will rely on kind-hearted volunteers to foster and care for them.
British expat Fran Scott, from nearby Restabal, said: “Spain is one of the worst places in Europe for its attitude to animals.
“We hope we can stop any more dogs being killed and to try and raise awareness that animals are sentient beings.”
The pound welcomed 1,200 abandoned dogs last year alone.
Visit Facebook page SOS Animales Motril – Granada for more information.
Too many dogs are bought on a whim, to satisfy kids wants, to satisfy a fad. If they made a dog licence cost 1000 euros, then made basic training compulsory, I’m sure less dogs would end up abandoned.
There are too many irresponsible dog owners, as a runner and cyclist, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been intimidated by dogs, and several times bitten.
Unfortunately there are too many stray dogs and cats on the CDS, I’m not sure whether it’s the same elsewhere in Spain. Last year we pulled up outside our development, I got out for something and a pointer type dog jumped in on our back seat and curled up, we were told it was a hunting dog that had been abandoned so we took it to a friend who re-homed it. Also saw a dead Dalmatian lying the road last year hit by a vehicle. Loads of stray cats too, a friend has taken in 11 had them all neutered most are feral but some are clearly dumped pets.
I was telling an Irish lady about this story last week and she burst into tears before I had even finished. She dedicates her life to looking after stray cats and dogs in Albufeira and sadly, the situation there is just as bad and they cannot find enough homes for the animals and the authorities are putting them down. With a shrinking expat population there are fewer people to re-home these animals and to make matters worse, people are still dumping them at an alarming rate. I think the solution is try and round up some volunteer vets and have a mass neutering programme to try and ensure that the population is kept under control. I hope these dogs get a reprieve, please keep us updated.