150,000 Companion Animals Lost Or Abandoned Spain 2008

In Spain, it is evident that there is a high rate of companion animal abandonment. In 2008, more than 118,000 dogs and 38,700 cats were recovered from the streets. 14% of these dogs had been lost, while the remainder had been abandoned. Of the cats recovered, 5% had been lost, while the remainder had been abandoned.

Survey results found that 14% of the dogs picked up were returned to their owners, 30% were adopted, and 15% were euthanized for health reasons. For cats, 30% stayed in the shelter, nearly 20% were adopted, and 23% were euthanized.

Pets are abandoned year round; 32% were collected in the first part of the year, 34% in the second part of the year, and 33% in the third part of the year.

The reasons given for animals being left at shelters included:

• Change in the animal’s behavior (16%)
• Moving (12%)
• End of hunting season (11%)
• Arrival of a child (10%)
• Loss of interest in the animal (9%)
• Hospitalization or death of owner (3%)

By area, the most dogs were abandoned in Andalusia (18,000), Catalonia (17,000), Valencia (14,000) and the Balearic Islands (12,000). In proportion to the number of inhabitants, the most dogs were abandoned in the Balearic Islands, Navarre, and Rioja.