Rescue Mission
Awaiting their fate.
It was 6 o’clock in the morning when Diane and I were on our way to an old lady close to Motril. She had asked for our help with emptying a killing station where few or no people came to help. There was massively killing going on, just as it is everywhere. We had space in the refugio so we could help…..
I have been living here for more than 20 years but the early mornings and the beautiful views still touch my heart. If only I didn't know what is happening behind the many walls where daylight never penetrates. While the tourists are staying in the hotels and occupying the beach chairs and busying themselves with sun cream and beach towels, many unwanted cats and dogs are being destroyed behind too many walls of at least one killing station, or more, in every village or city. And how?
At 9 o’clock we meet the old lady somewhere on a corner in a village where Jesus Christ has been with his horse. It is a typical Spanish village where no cat is to be seen, only some ladies with aprons juar as I remember them from my youth. The old lady with beautiful soft grey eyes, small and brave with her chin up, tells us the horror stories that she has encountered for more than 50 years. We follow her to the killing station.
A man with an ice cold look, an Asian (from Bolivia as we later hear) approaches us and makes it clear that if any photo’s and stories are shown and told outside these walls this will mean that the door will be closed to us in the future. Here our laws count, take it or leave it! This is private institution, you take, pay and leave! Do you understand?
Diane looks at me and swears in her dialect from Aalst, that crazy man can go to hell! Who does he think he is, she will teach him! The Bolivian, who Diana calls the Baboon asks what she says and I tell him she understands! The old lady has understood everything and smiles secretly and winks at me. Your mum is just like you, she says. They think they have more power than the pope but we do this for the dogs………
Private institution! The taxpayer pays their salary and for their dirty work, but the government is both the owner and the client so our opinion counts for nothing. Like brave and obedient suckers we follow him and then it starts. Cage after cage, full of the many dogs that are piled up here, your throat gets dry.
Very many Pitbulls and Stafs, large and small dogs, but so many. Your heart breaks and you realize that these strong and beautiful animals will all be killed soon. I want to take them all……..
Then we hear that the old dog is not allowed to come with us. His owner has to come to sign him away - this should have happened 5 years ago and the dog has ben sitting there ever since. Another dog will be used for breeding, it is a little Beagle, she can’t come; another one has scabies and will be killed today, all told to us as if this is completely normal.
At the end of the tour we take 33 dogs and that is only a small drop on this very hot plate.
We drive back. Complete silence! Both in deep thought about those who stay behind. Animals who do not deerve this fate and so very sad…….
There are no words……
Fabienne
Big and small, all together.
Please help us 
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