This weekend Fermin and members of the Scooby team are travelling from Spain through France to Holland and Italy with some of their rescued dogs going to foster and forever homes. It’s an incredible journey, especially when you consider that they also have jobs during the week. Fermin writes.
How many more trips we’ll have to do?/ how many more trips do we need to make?
Recent data points to Castile y León, where are the four Scooby shelters, like the Spanish community more violent with the dogs. This is a land of hunting and violence in the name of the ” traditions “, a land of sayings; ” where a necklace is worth more than the galgo “.
We’ve been helping the animals for more than 20 years, showing the world what many people do here to get rid of the dogs that are no longer worth even to succeed, not to show off, nor to make money. And show all your secrets, not only in the areas near us with these practices, we show it to the world and that stings.
This year we have found home for 1294 dogs and 80 per cent of these adoptions have been outside Spain. If it weren’t for other countries, so long ago that we, like many other protective, we couldn’t rescue animals. The discarded galgos and podencos would hang in the olive groves, down wells, and in the best cases wandering terrified by rural areas eating out of dumpsters.
That’s why about 20 times a year we’re on our way to make a new journey to Europe. We’ve updated the permissions for the van, its certificate of cleaning and disinfecting and the approval of our drivers. Have vaccinated, sterilized and checked out the animals. When they are ready to travel we turn to the board of Castile y León with the identifying data and health cards for each one of them, of their adopters, place of employment and who will be responsible for the transport. All this information is recorded on the official Traces system with their European passports so they can travel. 48 hours before the trip a veterinary inspector of the regional government certifies that everything is in order.
It’s so, with all the papers in hand, and almost always on a Friday afternoon, when the dogs go into the van. Our drivers, two volunteers who dedicate their weekend to the voyage, take turns at the wheel to get there as soon as possible to Holland; 16 hours of travel, France; 11 hours, to Italy; 19 hours, or the End of the world…
When we arrive at the destination the adoptive families tend to be at the meeting point waiting, impatient to meet their dogs. One by one they come out of the van; joy, hugs, cuddling and even tears. Later that same day or the next day, the country’s authorities contrast all documentation; each microchip and every passport.
Then comes the time to come home with the van empty of dogs and full, many times, with donations of food and blankets for the shelter. The satisfaction of knowing that each dog will start a new life, one where it will be loved and respected, this is with us all the way until we get back to the reality of the shelter…
How many more trips will we have to do?
When Spain will change its way of treating the animals?
Help Scooby – join their Teaming, only 1 euro/month. Link here.