Brave students, lucky dogs ...

You're coming with me, little one

The Refugio is grateful to the many students who come over as part of their various courses.  They help Graham and Stephen, Mike and Lisa and everyone else with the daily cleaning, feeding and washing – both the dogs and the laundry! Of which there is masses. It’s never ending.   Some months ago Fabienne was thinking of a way to involve the students more, to help them confront the harsh reality, to see what actually happens to the animals here in Spain.

She decided that, if they were willing, they could come with her to the killing stations. It’s a very hard thing to do, very difficult, very emotional.  So to help them, and the dogs, she asked each of them to choose one dog to be saved, which would then become their project. From then on they would take care of that dog, ‘their’ dog, right up to adoption and beyond. They would keep in touch with the adopting family and be able to follow their special one’s progress. Many students adopt their dogs themselves.

This was such a wonderful idea. It involved the students more closely in the work and the aims of A.C.E. and El Refugio. It made them much more motivated, helped them understand why we do certain things. Why, for instance, we sterilise all the dogs and why we are helping create sterilisation programmes.  And why we want to make people aware of what goes on, how serious the problem is.

This arrangement has been working well. Last week those students who are currently at El Refugio went to the Malaga killing station. It’s traumatic and upsetting. You can only save so many dogs.  To have to leave the others, knowing what fate awaits them, that they will never again see the light of day – that’s harsh. It tears you apart. The students were brave. Here are some more pictures of these lovely people with their lucky dogs.  

Two of the lucky ones - spare a thought for the others

Saved!

Happy students, happy dogs

My special one

The information was adapted from Fabienne’s Diary; the photos came from there too. See the diary entries of 17^th February and 11^th April, the latter with news of a new arrangement with the Malaga killing station, which will hopefully allow more lives to be saved. There are more photographs too.