The problem is due to the attitude of a lot of European countries, not least of which is Spain; Spain gets a lot of bad press re its treatment of the 'abandonados' but in reality it's just the same wherever you go in Europe and its not helped by expats who abandon their pets when they return to their own countries. We see it all too often here on EOS; pleas from expats going back to the UK... 'can someone please take care of my dog / cat' and it falls to the local animal rescuers to step in.
In reality, if the pet owners over here complied with the Spanish law on microchipping and annual rabies shots there is no reason at all why the dog / cat cannot be issued with a pet passport that allows unrestricted access to the UK. I know times are hard out here for anyone that has to work for a living and it ain't so easy for those who like me and my OH, rely on pensions.
We started life out here with two amazing hounds from UK Rescue Centres that we brought with us; it was never our intention to take on any others but... it... just... sort... of ... happened... see my blog for details. Currently we have 9... far too many but all of them deserving cases. Life revolves around them 24/7/365; there is no such tning as a day off.
The view of the authorities is hardline but I understand fully their reasons; someone said to me "You cant save them all..." and regretably it's very true and the authorities take the same view. What I do object to is their habit of farming out dog and cat captures to uncaring get-rich-quick companies; these companies are the scum of the earth. They are paid a substantial retainer and then on results. More often than not these are run purely as capture and kill centres; the methods used for euthanasia are normally gross, cruel, and totally inhumane. Local authority 'Rescue Centres' are not much better. The life expectancy of an animal picked up from the street can be measured in days, sometimes in hours.
I put forward a post on my blog under the heading Sobering Thought which proposed a controversial partial solution. The PP in Madrid under Esperanza Aguirre (who normally, seems quite a sensible person...) put forward her own solution... Make it a criminal offence to feed street dogs... just how bloody arrogant can you get. Hopefully she will get her reward in Heaven... or not as the case may be.
Street dogs, left to their own devices, do not of themselves pose a problem it's peoples reactions to them that cause the problems.
As for A European Society for the Protection of Animals... with the best will in the world I just can't see it happening. Not one animal charity in Europe receives any financial support from local or national authorities and it falls to local organisations like The Little Pod Foundation and Perros del Sol and all the others, too numerous to mention to fundraise and actually care for the rescued animals.
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