From the rescuers of Scooby in Medina Del Campo, Spain:
We have heard of another tragedy and we are on our way to finding a solution. This time it was in a town of Sevilla, at El Cuervo, a nice town where a man called Antonio has dedicated to rescue dogs, especially Galgos, Podencos, and some mixed breeds. We calculate that there were there almost 200 dogs, all together, males, females, big, small, for which the situation is absolutely untenable. The inspection organizations had given this man till November 10th to arrange this situation. We received a call from Sandra, a person living there and we began to move.
We first went there to see the situation and what we saw there was an absolute tragedy. Lots of dogs all together, some of them in awful conditions, too skinny with terrible skin problems, full of fleas, pregnant bitches about to give birth, dogs with recent wounds and some with scares from old fights. When we went to the back part of the house, the situation was worst. In an olive area, Antonio had about 30 tied up dogs, with very short chains, and most of them famished, dog bones everywhere and for what we saw we could say that this had been going on for some years now. Even Antonio told us that some days ago a Galga had given birth and that the others had eaten the puppies and then the poor mother, we even saw a dead dog in the patio.
Seeing this situation, we decided to do something, and next day we went back with the van to pick up some dogs. We have already made 2 trips, in the first one we picked up those who were in the worst physical condition, the thinnest ones, the bitches about to give birth, and in the second trip we picked up the more traumatized and some even so scared that they have bitten poor Maria in that part that women have more bulky, thank God it was only a scratch. We loaded the dogs and began our trip back home. We had to stop so that Maria could change her clothes, because she has a serious problem with fleas, so every time, after each trip, she is full of pimples. Well, unfortunately I found an abandoned Galga and I couldn't pick her up.
Again we found ourselves with a big problem that we have to solve with your help. We need you again, we need your help to help them, who are the ones who really need it. We need economic aid, organizations who want to receive these animals, vets to sterilize them and prepare them for their new homes. We need homes for them, and volunteers because these dogs need a special treatment, that is to say, we need all of you, they will thank you. Help us save them to be able to save more.
Thank you, they count on you.
LA RAZ�N Solidaria
10 November 2007
The farm with the 200 dogs with no owner
The Seprona (environmental police) finds in a Sevilla property 200 hundred neglected dogs * They had never been to the veterinary * The Guardia Civil is looking for a home or a shelter for the animals
Esther S. Sieteiglesias
Madrid- It is not the first time that a elder person accumulates a big number of animals in non desired conditions. This is not a case of direct mistreatment, for the owner of the property considers himself as a dog lover, but the truth is that the dogs were found in, as said by the people who went there, it deplorable conditions.
It happened in Sevilla. For Antonio things went out of control. He never imagined he would have so many animals nor that he wouldn't be able to feed them, and this is because feeding so many animals, even when you have the land, is more expensive than what you receive as for your pension.
A veterinary of the Agrarian Regional Office (ARO) went to visit him, for he didn't have the place prepared to have such a large number of dogs. Since then, Antonio, the Seprona and ARO have tried to find a solution.
At least 100 have been euthanized.
They first decided to take him at least 100 animals, and as there were no pounds nor shelters, they were going to be euthanized today, November 10th 2007. Through the e-mails the story was spread out. People from El Cuervo, where the property is, raised the alarm, for they didn't want the animals to die. Antonio told me what was going on and I quickly began to send e-mails to all the shelters and organizations I know says Sandra Bellido, and adds �no matter how much Antonio loves them, he has bitches with males, none of them are castrated, and some have even cancer.
The thing is that Sandra e-mails have had effect. The Scooby shelter, from Medina del Campo (Valladolid), was the first to turn up. Its president, Ferma�n Perez has already taken 60 Galgos and will possibly go this weekend with his van to look for another 30. �When Antonio was told, he threatened to commit suicide if they took his dogs away from him, says Ferma�n. �The property is pretty clean and is pretty big, but the truth is that they have never gone to the vet.
�We have all agreed, and the date for the sacrifice has been postponed, says Sandra. "I now give the Scooby telephone number, so that if someone wants to help or adopt a dog, he does it directly through the shelter. Plus, it seems that the owner and Ferma�n get along well, if people start to come, it would be very tough for Antonio.
The Scooby Association, created 20 years ago to rescue stray dogs and cats, is taking care of the expenses: transport, veterinary, sterilization and microchip, plus the daily maintenance. The organization is prepared for this type of rescue and the shelter is set up. They hope to find them a home soon, and they will probably go to look for more dogs. �I have counted more than 150, but there are isolated hovels, says Ferma�n.
http://www.larazon.es/noticias/noti_soc29021.htm
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