I've taken this post from the fb page of Action for Animal Welfare Spain, which Viv has written. I am sure like me you admire everyone living in Spain with the problem of abandoned, injured, starving, maltreated animals surrounding them. How can they turn their backs on such an animal just because they have the legal limit for the number of dogs they can keep.
'This post is not to cause offence, it's for discussion.
Primary rescue, Secondary rescue, Third line rescue, what’s best, what will make a difference? Perhaps a better title is, 'less is more', improving rescue, what do we need to do?
The recent case in France of an English ex pat keeping rescue dogs and having some of them removed has produced a lot of controversy and differing opinions amongst rescuers.
Some people think it was wrong to take on so many dogs without resources and some hail her as a hero for picking up dogs that might otherwise have been killed in pounds.
People say some of the dogs in the Spanish pounds, would have been left there and died if it wasn’t for people like that rescuer. That would be true, if the problem wasn’t so overwhelming and there were not so many thousands of dogs daily that need help in Spain - on the streets, or with hunters who no longer want them, or in cruel abusive situations.
The dogs coming out of kill pounds may or may not be homeable - but for sure the pound is benefitting financially for every dog that comes out. A dog from a pound may get sent to a home where their character and past life has affected them so much, that they are just not suited to a home life. So poor dog has travelled 4 days in discomfort, to end up stressed and anxious in a strange environment and may be put to sleep anyway, or run away and end up frightened and scared somewhere. This is happening and is getting worse!
Consider that maybe giving money to pounds worsens the whole situation and the future of unwanted dogs? – They will get more dogs, they won’t improve the conditions and we give them a motivation for income! some pounds just allow parvo virus to run rampant and do nothing, because we go and collect the poor pups to try and save them, this is despicable and irresponsible of the pounds - but we say nothing, we just rescue!!! Some are saved of course and end up happy but what about the rest who don’t?
Nobody wants to see Puppies, pregnant mummies, sick, and elderly dogs in pounds...but we need resources, space and licences and support, to help them – otherwise they are not protected.
A dog on the street, a dog who is sick, a dog who is going to be killed by a hunter and so on, these are first line rescues; get them before the pound does.
Rescuers, who really genuinely care, get together and work out how to put the perreras in their place, help the Spanish associations, who have been working so hard for so many years..
Second line rescuers, who are desperate to help dogs, think about what is really going to make a difference.
Third line rescuers, have you got dogs closer to home that need help?
Comments