Pet Abandonment

Coinciding with the summer, the Affinity Foundation has presented its 'XX Annual Survey of abandonment', this edition has become one of the statistical analysis of major pet abandonment of our country, to obtain the cooperation of 250 associations of animals and over 600 municipalities scattered throughout the country. The figures analyzed correspond to the data collected in 2007, revealing a grim figures: during that year were abandoned in Spain a total of 109,000 dogs and 24,000 cats, representing an increase of 6.5% compared to the numbers 2006.
With this type of study, the Affinity Foundation wants to remove the conscience of all those involved, at some point, the abandonment of your pet for any type of event, and offer, in turn, advice and recommendations to overcome certain situations in many cases, end up with the animal in a shelter. This year, as in previous editions, have opted to promote leisure travel with pets, and they have published a guide that includes 2700 hotels and cottages 1700 allowing the presence of pets.

The sad reality of abandonment
Unlike other European countries, where rates of abandonment of animals are ridiculous, in Spain the number of pets that become homeless is growing year after year. Only in 2007 a total of 109,000 dogs were neglected by their owners, although Mary Azkargorta, Affinity Foundation director, stressed that "this figure is less than 2% of all dogs that are in our country, we can therefore say that the vast majority of owners are responsible people. "
Andalucía and Madrid are the Autonomous Communities where more dogs were abandoned in 2007, with 21 670 and 16 988 animals respectively, while Asturias is at the bottom with 1307 dogs. The study carried out by the foundation also reveals a curious fact: no more dogs are abandoned in the summer. In fact, throughout 2007, the first quarter was that a higher number of cases, with 35.5% of the total compared to 33% and 31% in the second and third quarter.
You can not say the same thing when we refer to the feline world. Of the 24 457 cats were left homeless in 2007, nearly half (43.97%) were abandoned during the summer, a figure that Azkargorta related to "the high number of kittens that are abandoned during the summer, the rest of the year most adults are exemplary. " In this case, Cataluña is the autonomous community with the highest dropout rate felines: 5997 total in 2007.
The fate of these animals in the case of dogs, the good news is that three of every four dogs entering a shelter have a happy ending. 52% are adopted by a family that gives them a new lease on life, while about 22% are returned to their owners for having reached the center for loss and abandonment. Unfortunately, 16% eventually die by euthanasia, a figure that, in the case of cats, reaches 42%, "a very alarming figure," ruling the Affinity Foundation director.
And that is, the cats, are not as lucky as the dogs at the time to reach the shelters. Where appropriate, the number of adoptees is reduced to 37%, while only 4.5% return again with their owners. These numbers could be extended substantially improved the use of microchips, which are mandatory in many autonomous communities, because "in the case of dogs, only two out of ten had a microchip, and if we refer to cats, the number is reduced a little over 3%, "explains Mary Azkargorta.