Starting with the good news - the Refugio is safe for another 20 years!
These last few weeks, reading Fabienne's Diary and Happy Endings, as well as the Dutch and Belgian blogs I've been encouraged, infuriated, enraged, grateful, sad - sometimes almost simultaneously. The brilliant news is that Fabienne and Ton have signed a new lease and so the Refugio is safe for another 20 years. So much hard work and worry goes on behind the scenes to achieve such results - so we are all so grateful on behalf of the beloved dogs.
Other news is not so good. There have been dogs locked inside cars in suffocating heat (in Britain as well as Spain, I might add). Even more mothers have been abandoned with their tiny puppies, some often far to small to survive. Puppies continue to be dumped, at the gates, in the garbage or in the street all alone and without either parent. Several beloved adopted dogs have died, leaving their owners grief stricken but hopefully with the comfort of knowing how much love they brought into their lives.
Little Nieves Acosta Diez attracted attention outside the supermarket. Not because he was so beautiful - he was in fact invisible because he was shut in a box. There was much interest and amusement among the onlookers who nevertheless did nothing to discover why the box was moving. Lovely, innocent Campeon was shot on the way to Santiago de Compostella, and even more cruelly, his owner was forced to give up his companion. Poor old Charly, was loved and cherished by his family who had him as a puppy. When they went back to England on holidays he went to nice kennels. But this time they didn't come back for him. Charly doesn't know what hit him.
The killing stations are making money. This situation is their meat and drink. Meanwhile the rescue centres - El Refugio, Algeciras and others - are struggling. The thing that makes everyone mad and so very angry is that this is all avoidable. There will always be a few strays. There will always be some irresponsible people. But there is no need for this wholesale misery. The answer is so simple - sterilisation and castration. It's not as if it costs all that much either. And it's as nothing compared to the financial cost of having so many abandoned animals, to say nothing of the agony and suffering of these these innocents. It's all so unnecessary - that's what's so galling.
As I said in the beginning, the fury and rage is mitigated by encouragement, gratitude and admiration. Encouragement because I know how many people really care and are trying so hard. Gratitude and admiration for Fabienne, Paky, Isabelleke and so many people too numerous to mention, not forgetting the Malaga killing station that is really trying to ameliorate the suffering - working with us rather than against us. Sadness to hear of the loving families who have lost their precious companions, but happiness to know there are so many devoted people who open their homes to these abused and beautiful creatures and shower them with such love.
Campeon - shot for no reason
Happy Endings - thanks to the love of their new families
Eva reclining - again in true Galgo style
Happy families - Mia has found her golden basket
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