It’s not always good news, when appeals have been circulated about galgos in killing stations – that they are then ‘adopted’! Depending on the killing station, some of the dogs are taken into the care of rescue associations – such as from SOS Badajoz, Zaragosa, to name but two. But others, such as Mairena, don’t care, they are simply happy to accept a payment of about 30 euros/dog, no matter where the dog goes.
It is a known fact that many dogs in perreras are taken out by Italian organisations and shipped across Europe, to end up in Italian dog pounds – with up to 600 dogs, which can be just as bad as some Spanish ones. I’m not talking about bone fide rescue organisations like Galgo Levrieri. I’m talking about dog traffikers. The council pays 5 euros/dog/day. It is forbidden by law to kill the dogs. So some Italians are now using this as a means of income – 600 dogs @ 5 euros/day is 3,000 euros/day!
The dogs exist in dire conditions, minimal food, water, no bedding, no vet checks.
This is not the first report I have had of this trade in dogs from Spanish perreras to Italy.
Please, if you are in Italy, only adopt from a bone fide dog adoption association.
The name I have been given as organising these transports is an Italian woman.
If you wish to know the name of this person, please email Cobie
Comments
6 responses to “Dog Traffikers – Spain to Italy!”
Are the bona fide Italian associations doing something regarding the government? It seems to be that it should be illegal to import dogs for profit without giving the dogs a decent life. Taking a dog from a pound to put him in another pound makes no sense! If it’s a municipal question (municipal councils), then they should be made aware of what’s going on and some sort of regulation should be in place so that they only award money to those accredited organizations that are sure to try and rehome the dogs. It blows me away the horrible ways that people will find to make money with animals without ANY thought for the animal… And we’re supposed to be “civilized”. I weep for humanity.
I just wonder why they go to Spain to get the dogs. There are enough dogs in Romania and in Hungary, too and it is cheaper to get them from there.
Moreover I thought until now that basically Italy has enough strays, too to fill up a dog pound. And if there would not be enough then you just forget to spay / neuter and here we go.
I do not tell that such horror stories are fairy tales but I just wonder why some guys pick Spain to get the dogs from there when there are cheaper and less complicated alternatives.
Good point!
there are many “panic rescuers” in italy who think better alive in a “canile” (italian perrera = city dog pound) than dead in spainñ. the spanish authorities stopped already several illegal transports to spain, here some links to the newspaper articles and tv reports about it. italy is not much better than spain, in the north they respect animals , the further south you go the worse it gets for animals.
i find them hipocrits to come and save spanish animals whilst in italy thausands live in inhumane caniles a live long misery. germans, austrians and swiss go to rescue italian dogs and the italians come to “rescue” spanish dogs??? why dont they clean first in front of their own doors ???
if you adopt in italy, only from registered charities and only tested, spayed/neutered and socialized dogs. beware of the typpical group of histerics who ask for lots of donations to “save” spanish dogs but bring them in illegal inhumane transports to italy.
what i personally find very irresponsable is sending dogs of “dangergous breeds” to italy as the mafia is moving lots of money with dogfights!
http://andaluciainformacion.es/portada/?a=206340&i=1&f=0
http://www.lavozdigital.es/cadiz/v/20110710/ciudadanos/guardia-civil-evita-envio-20110710.html
http://www.canalsur.es/portal_rtva/web/noticia/id/160466/portada/la_guardia_civil_investiga_el_traslado_de_centenares_de_perros_a_italia_desde_cadiz
this is not animal rescue, this is “OUT OF SITE IS OUT OF MIND” and these people do not realy care for the dgos
In fact it is wiser to donate only to charities you know well enough to be sure they are really doing some good work and where you agree to their fostering and adoption policies.
Here in Toronto there was a poor feral cat shot and paralyzed. People donated huge sums of money for his operation.
Immediately another organization that I think is a charity only in name, “found” another paralyzed stray cat and is asking for donations ($$$). I know this second group and have here an e-mail on my computer where the boss of that rescue refuses to pull a 11 year old Somali cat from the death row in a big pound, telling me that she would not even agree to a foster offer through her organization as this cat COULD be ill and it COULD have issues.
She basically leaves the middle aged cat to his fate (which is there death by lethal injection) because it COULD cost her money.
And now they have their paralyzed cat there and are asking for $$$ all over the internet(even in a Montreal blog and Montreal is not exactly in our neighbourhood).
What should I say to that?
(the 11 year old cat was rescued by an individual who adopted him directly from the death row, shortly before he would have been euthanized. The local organizations normally prefer to pull tiny sweet kittens from that death factory).
Beware of donating to unknown organizations with schocking and heart wrenching stories!!!
Remember, people can tell ANY lie on the internet, the pics can be faked etc.
The internet is very treacherous so do your homework before donating.
Follow up on ANY organization you intend to donate to!!! At LEAST a good Google search should be done.
The Toronto area is for example full of cat rescues that want 120 to 180 CAD for a rescued cat but do not even bother to insert a bloody microchip (cost: 10 CAD or less) into the poor cat. This area is full of pounds that kill thousands of cats yearly. A microchip should be the LEAST any serious rescue does for an animal. And yes, nearly NONE of the organizations does systematic blood testing for FIV and FeLV (test kit costs 20 USD in bulk and tests for FIV, FeLV and feline heartworm). And all of these organizations call themselves cat rescue and collect donations busily oh yes…
Nowadays you must be VERY cautious with charities. Especially animal lovers fall for any horror rescue story and part with their hard earned money pretty easily as some crooks very well know.
Serious organizations allow you to follow up on their work, on their policies, their websites are maintained and contain not only bloody dog limbs and paralyzed cats (or similar). But unfortunately even a good webpage or blog is NO warranty that the organization is really serious.
I prefer to start helping in small, and then wait and see! Often you grasp the truth about an organization when you foster with them (as it happened to me recently). How do they care for you and your foster? Is the foster agreement fair and correct? Are they really professional? What do they offer for the animal (chip, vaccines, spay/neuter, blood tests etc.)? Do they educate prospective adopters and foster homes properly (about diseases, possible behavioural issues for example)?
By being cautious and critical before donating you can prevent much frustration and disappointment.
I also prefer to ask my questions in a written form and request answers via e-mail. Just to be on the safe side.
AMEN