Costa Blanca Dogs Need Loving Homes

I have found in my adopted country that a lot of things are different in both good and bad ways, and I always refused to become one of those people who moved somewhere and started bashing their culture or way of being.

But, in this post I am going to reflect on something negative that I have seen a lot since I moved to Spain. And that’s the way Animals get treated.

Now … I am not an vegan, non-leather wearing protestor. And I do think its cute to dress puppies up in little jumpers and buy them bling jewellery. Sorry but my desire to have a handbag dog is overwhelming even if my Dad has continuously told me that dogs are not a fashion accessory (sorry Dad, your still wearing oxblood boots … it would be like taking fashion advice from Compo in Last of the Summer Wine!).

But despite all that, I can’t help feeling that my handbag dog dream, no matter how unfair to some, is not at all cruel when I see the thousands of abandoned and neglected dogs here on the Costa Blanca.

I hope you have taken in the fact that I have never said how ‘The Spanish’ treat animals, because why a huge majority of it is down to the Spaniards (sorry guys, but a country that still celebrates bull-fighting/running has a lot to learn about animal rights) its also a lot of ex-pats as well.

The British, German, Scandinavians…wherever everyone is from, are as much to blame. Maybe not so much with the out and out neglect, but when you have dogs and abandon them at the first sign of trouble because your going back to your homelands/moving on, that to me is just the same. I know some situations are beyond control but this is not an every now and then thing, there are literally rescue centres (run on donations and through volunteers) on the Costa Blanca teeming with unwanted pets awaiting adoption.

But more than that, it’s the cruelty that really gets to me, seeing dumped, starved, abused dogs. Hearing whimpers from dustbins or horror stories in the papers and on the net.

Seriously guys, if any of you are living on the Costa and can re-home one of these dogs please do so, but remember kindness can also be a killer so if your not in a stable situation don’t make it worse by taking on an abused animal just to dump it again when the need to spread your wings calls.