Dog News

A Plea for Scooby: Sociedad Protectora de Animales

by ADMIN

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“When there is no more money, no more room, no more homes
You open your heart a little bigger, stretch the money a little tighter
Make just a little more room to save one more like me”

-From The Rescue by Maureen Bauer

Beautiful girlI arrived in late March of 2012 at Scooby: Sociedad Protectora de Animales, a huge animal sanctuary in Spain for mostly galgos (Spanish hunting greyhounds) but also cats, dogs, donkeys and other farm animals. The founder of this shelter, Fermin Perez, has created an organization whose mission is to educate the world about the atrocities that galgos endure* and to take direct action to improve animal welfare and find adoptive homes for all the animals.

Not a single animal is turned away, no matter the need. This has created a serious overcrowding issue and there are at times 400 to 450 animals living at this shelter in desperate need of food, medication and medical treatment. How it is possible for this shelter to do as much as they do is beyond my grasp, but they continue to open their hearts and souls even when their needs greatly outweigh their existing resources.

Scooby relies solely on volunteers and donations. The most consistent need is food for the dogs (at times food for the dogs will be dry, stale bread supplemented with dry dog food: other times just stale bread) and expensive medications such as antibiotics and flea/tick treatments.

A majority of the dogs that are fortunate to end up at Scooby are malnourished and suffer from wounds needing treatment, or they are ill. It is a balancing act to provide the proper medication while ensuring that supplies will not run out. This means some dogs are not treated immediately in the hope they will recover on their own so as not to “waste” a dose that another may desperately need now. I witnessed the tough decisions that had to be made regarding treatment and care.

Paddock 2

While I was there tick season was in full swing, and I treated approximately 350 dogs with donated preventative treatments. Sadly, I ran out of the solutions and when the end of April approaches, there are no more treatments left for the dogs and cats. Donations are desperately needed.

Please help them to continue their mission. Scooby will use every last resource for continuing to provide a safe refuge for those galgos and other animals in need. Flea and tick treatments and medications can be donated (expired is fine) and of course, monetary donations are even more helpful, especially when food is scarce. Their website (www.scoobymedina.org) provides for ways to donate, including a PayPal link. Alternatively, monies can be mailed as follows:

US: Make checks payable to:Scooby North America c/o Diane Ward115 Courier Court NELeesburg, VA 20176

Canada: Make cheques payable to:Scooby c/o Eva Andrews460 King Edward StreetParis, Ontario N3L 3E3

*  A recent 2011 investigation by WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) has exposed the way in which thousands of  galgos are hanged following the end of the hare coursing season at the start of each year. This is but one of the atrocities this breed suffers in Spain.

-Jane Accardo