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ARCHIVED - Half the animals surrendered to shelters in Spain in 2021 have been adopted
Of the dogs and cats rescued from Spanish shelters, 90% have found their forever homes
Spain, unfortunately, has one of the worst animal abandonment records in Europe but the tide may well be turning, as a study conducted by the Affinity Foundation shows that 51% of all the cats and dogs surrendered to or picked up by animal shelters in 2021 have now been adopted.
This is great news for our furry friends: in all, 147,000 pets went to new homes, representing a 3% increase for dogs and an impressive 10% more cats than the previous year.
The picture is still grim though considering 285,000 animals in total ended up in shelters, and the foundation has warned of the “delicate situation” ahead when summer hits and more pets, particularly puppies and kittens, land into protection societies.
"We have indications that adoptions are slowing down or stopping, a fact that translates into entities fuller of animals and, sometimes, the situation becomes unsustainable,” the director explained.
The new Animal Protection Law in Spain also means that dogs and cats can’t be euthanised except for compelling medical reasons, which is naturally going to translate into busier shelters.
Nevertheless, the fact that 52% of the collected dogs and 51% of cats were adopted points to a very positive change, one that hasn’t been seen since 2018.
According to the study, the vast majority of adoptions are successful, with only 10% of animals having to be returned to the shelter. Of these, 34% are due to behavioural problems that can usually be corrected with professional help. Sadly, 40% of animals are given back within the first month, which is simply not enough time for the pet and its new human to adapt.
To buck the current trend, the Affinity Foundation is encouraging people to consider adopting an animal during the summer, when families generally have more time to dedicate to their pets.
Image: Archive
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