2014 Newsletter () - Paws

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Newsletter of the People’s Animal Welfare Society
Apartado 627, 04638 Mojácar, Almería, Spain. Tel +34 678 490 217.
www.paws-patas.org
pawsenquiries@gmail.com
December 2014
A Year of Trials and Transition
It seems astonishing to some
who have been here since the
beginning: PAWS has been running for 25 years! But in all
that time we have rarely encountered a year of more trials
and tribulation than in 2014.
Inside this issue:
Levels of clandestine dumping
which has plagued the shelter for
years reached an all-time high. The
shelter report (see page 2) gives A defining image of 2014 - six puppies
the grisly details, but at times it dumped in July - had to be housed for
made life for management and vol- four weeks in the vet’s treatment room
unteers almost unbearable.
And yet … PAWS public support
and approval for the work it does
has never been higher. The response to an appeal during the
summer parvo crisis was heartwarming. Despite the struggle to
find enough volunteers PAWS continues to grow and expand.
With the launch of PAWS UK, (see
page 6) joining PAWS Netherland,
we now have three separate
branches. The ever-growing demand PAWS faces has meant we
have continually to look for new
areas of support outside Spain.
This expansion has also produced changes
in how PAWS manages its own organization. The committee has been divided into
two groups - the four officers have become
the directors who oversee finance and the
longer-term development of the Society;
the managers’ group now meets separately
to oversee the day-to-day running. The
focus of fundraising is changing from lots of
labour-intensive local events to seeking
support from institutions and partnership
arrangements (see page 4).
This does not mean neglecting our base in
Spain or our grass roots support. 2015 will
see a concerted outreach to our host Spanish community and an attempt to find more
homes for abandoned animals in Spain.
This could produce considerable savings in
1
Shelter Life
2
Homing news
The Cattery
3
3
Education
4
Fundraising
4
Shop News
Opening up the UK
5
6
adoption costs and a renewing of the
volunteer base which has been shrinking
in key areas for several years.
None of the pioneering group who set up
PAWS 25 years ago could have foreseen
its growth to such an expanding international organization. It is a tribute to their
dedication (and some remain at the heart
of the organization) that PAWS is even
still in existence while similar groups have
simply been crushed by the continual
uphill challenge.
That unshakable dedication, buoyed by a
respect and love for innocent, defenceless animals, will continue to drive PAWS
forward in 2015. The methods may have
undergone radical changes, the scrutiny
and legislation under which we work may
have greatly intensified - but the motivation remains as it always has been, and
will always remain.
Page 2
The Local Bark
S h e l t e r R e p o r t - “Alm ost at bre ak ing Point.”
2014 was a very tough year for the Shelter, with endless challenges and a couple of times when we were
very close indeed to breaking point. Dumping animals overnight got worse and worse - many wired into
cramped vegetable crates, with notes attached in the same handwriting. This suggested a single culprit
might be responsible. Well over 200 dogs and puppies were dumped in the Shelter vicinity in 2014.
An already fraught situation was
made far worse in June when
some of these abandoned animals were discovered to have
parvovirus, a lethal disease for
young puppies.
The Shelter
went into lock-down, homing
had to be suspended and temporary quarantine cages were erec- Temporary quarantine cages to accommodate the
ted all over the front area. It huge number of puppies dumped - with makeshift
awnings to protect them from the hot summer sun.
took more than two month to
ensure the virus had been contained.
But amid the stress and the gloom there have been some wonderfully encouEvery public statement PAWS made raging developments.
over the past four years about this problem has stressed that neutering is the
answer to unwanted puppies – but it
seems to make no difference. In our
new education campaign in Spanish
schools (see page 4) we are trying to
get this across at least to the next generation. But for the foreseeable future it seems PAWS shelter will have to
continue carrying the burden of traditional neglect of this key solution.
Babs Williams and Lucy Beach,
(pictured above) two volunteers from
Worldwide Veterinary Service, arrived
in September to build the new ‘Austin
Kennel’ - named after our former
much-loved gatekeeper who was
adopted in England two years ago.
Babs forged the link between PAWS
and WVS, and will chair the new PAWS
UK support organisation (see back paA litter of eight puppies dumped
ge). Lucy is a veterinary nurse who will
outside the Shelter in July.
be one of the UK trustees.
2
We have enjoyed wonderful
continuing support from the
Food for PAWS group, supporters of PAWS for the last three
years. One them, Ingrid Blanker
has organised food collections
with former colleagues, and on
her own raised €1,600 on a
marathon, agonising 4-day sponsored walk. to buy food Also four
new and enthusiast sponsors, including two veterinary clinics,
have joined in to support PAWS
with food collections, medication
and goodies for the animals. Last
year the PAWS van returned after
each transport with around 700
kilos of free food, a huge bonus.
Finally a huge thank you to all our
dedicated volunteers who worked
impossible hours sometimes - and
to all our supporters who rallied
magnificently to our various appeals for help. Without them the
Shelter would have simply collapsed!
The Local Bark
Page 3
Neutering cats is always the key
2014 has been the usual very
busy year, but importantly a
good one for recruiting new
volunteers to help at the cattery. The team had become very
depleted and the resident cats
need to socialise with as many
people as possible to prepare
them for homing.
We have also had new people
offering to foster cats and kittens which either aren’t suited
to life in a shelter or for whom
we simply don’t have space.
This is especially valuable for
very young kittens who are simply too vulnerable to survive on
their own among a group of
adult cats.
The real value of
Fostering
But our problems start and end with
neutering. We have managed to neuter
140 cats so far which is an encouraging
figure. But we have recently been informed of several large colonies of unneutered feral cats in the area. We are
trying to have as many of them neutered
as possible, but it isn’t an easy process
and is very labour intensive. The implications for next year’s “kitten season”
could be disastrous if we don’t manage to
have this done.
Three kittens abandoned near the
PAWS shop at Las Buganvillas were
very weak and generally in a pitiful
state. Thanks to the dedication of
their foster family they grew into
strong, healthy cats and were found
loving homes without every having to
come into the cattery. Photos below
show the litter of five when they first
arrived - and two of them ready to go
to their new homes.
We really need to get the message across
publicly that money spent on cat neutering now will save PAWS a lot more money in the future. We have an active programme of feral neutering going on
throughout the year, but it is still a small
team, spearheaded by two volunteers
working tirelessly to trap cats in the Vera
Playa area.
Any more outside help,
whether in donations or new volunteers,
will be particularly welcome.
Dog & puppy Homing 2014
Cat & kitten Homing 2014
Total homed
Total homed
50
Spain:
47
Spain:
Holland/Germany:
UK:
Still in PAWS care:
229
35
152
UK:
1
55
Feral cats neutered
137
122
Still in PAWS care:
43
Waiting list:
3
3
Thanks as usual to all our volunteers, our
Foster families, our fundraisers and the
small team who go out all year to feed
and trap feral cats for neutering. But especial thanks to our vets who are always
there in an emergency to provide the
specialist care - without them we simply
couldn’t function. See you all in 2015!
Page 4
The Local Bark
Reaching out to educate the next generation
PAWS goes into schools, hoping children can teach their parents about animals
PAWS began an education programme in local schools this
year in the hope that the generation now growing up can
have a more enlightened attitude to animals than has traditionally been the case in Spain.
Official figures show that more than 100.000 animals every
year are abandoned on the roads and in the countryside that is one every three-and-a-half minutes. And Andalucía is
the worst region in Spain for dumping animals. 2014 has been
the worst year in PAWS’ 25-year existence for dumping animals in the vicinity of the Shelter.
The schools’ programme is run by Anneli Lofstrom and Anika
Poort with Martin Poort in support. The first session was
held In March at Vera School where PAWS volunteer Ana Isabel Garcia is Head of English Studies. This is one of the biggest
schools in Andalucia, and formed part of a complete multicultural day. The second followed in October at the Collegio in
Los Gallardos.
Children at Los Gallardos school listening to PAWS volunteers
They are taught how to care for an animal in the home, clean up
its mess and to ensure dogs are properly exercised. The importance of neutering to avoid unwanted births is stressed and they
take away a leaflet in the hope that the normal education process can be reversed - with children helping to educate their
parents!
The children are given a questionnaire in advance - a revealing
exercise. Most thought that neutering an animal meant giving
it a cosmetic beauty session - while a microchip was something found in a microwave oven or a mobile phone!
Shifting the focus on Fundraising
In recent years we have relied on a series of music events to
spearhead our local Fundraising. The loss of our stellar events
organiser Siobhan, recovering from serious illness, prompted
a re-think of PAWS Fundraising strategy.
Events are labour-intensive to organise, and it becomes more
difficult each year to find the volunteers required to man
them. The two big traditional showcases - the Spring Animal
Fun day and the Christmas Fair both took place very successfully in perfect weather (see photos opposite) and raised €3,000
between them.
But in future PAWS may concentrate more on targeting institutional grants and support, and possibly enlist the aid of a
professional fundraiser to locate sympathetic donors. The
success of the third PAWS shop at Las Buganvillas points towards a potential avenue of more such joint ventures. We
need to find €150,000 each year just to stay afloat. PAWS needs to adjust its stategy to match the growth of demand we
now have to meet.
4
The Local Bark
Page 5
PAWS Shops thriving despite the recession.
The Mojacar Shops new manager
Lynn Hart reports that “thanks to
the wonderful team of ladies
who work in them, both are
going from strength to strength.”
Five new volunteers started work
during the Autumn months, which
has eased the burden on some of the
longer-serving team members. Lynn
took over from Julie Peradon, who
had been shop manager for seven
years. Julie is now concentrating her
energy on the Boutique, which she
set up in 2012, and which is now
open for an extra day from TuesdaySaturday.
Food and water for Shelter
puppies (right)
brought to the
Buganvillas
shop, in November
The three shops not only bring in more
than half PAWS required income of
€150,000 per year - they became key
drop-off points for the several appeals
by over-worked Shelter staff in need of
everything from old newspapers, extra
towels and blankets and even fresh water for puppies during the parvo virus
outbreak when the drinking water
pump at the Shelter went on the blink.
Although the Shops were all closed for
the Christmas Holidays, the Corner shop
volunteers worked right through to repaint and generally give this, the Main
shop, a complete make-over. The layout
was re-arranged to provide a fresh new
look for customers returning in January.
The Mojácar Boutique
Buganvillas Shop a resounding success
The Las Buganvillas Shop celebrated
its first year anniversary with cava
and snacks at the beginning of November. It was a very well-deserved
celebration - the shop has considerably exceded the target set in its firstyear business plan, bringing in nearly
twice the amount forecast. The shop
serves a new target demographic for
PAWS, the Vera Playa-Puerto Rey
developments, and many PAWS supporters there have enjoyed the promimity of being able to shop locally
rather than travelling on to Mojácar.
It has its own Facebook page, maintained with enthusiasm by shop
manager Jill Wise (seen on the left
with joint manager Chrissie Greswolde, right).
A popular feature has been the displays of handmade ítems by local
crafts people, such as the Anne-nMags jewellery on display in December. Cat Lovers days, with a
chance to meet some of the newer
PAWS kittens, have also been a big
draw. The shop is open MondayFriday, 10.00-14.30.
5
A customer in the Corner shop
The Local Bark
Page 6
PAWS UK launched to boost support in Britain
An independent charitable organisation has been launched to co-ordinate support for PAWS in Britain.
With its own bank account and website (www.pawsuk.org) it will act as focal point for the 2,000 people who support and follow PAWS progress via social media.
The idea was sparked by a tragic
event, the fire at Manchester Dogs
Home in which 60 dogs died. The
immediate outpouring of concern and
support was astonishing. A ‘Just
Giving’ page was set up to raise funds
for repairs and rebuilding - in the first
12 hours £600,000 had been pledged.
PAWS UK was set up to harness our
UK support more effectively. It has its
own officers and trustees, and has
completed an application to the UK
Charity Commission to be registered
formally as UK charity.
Although the organisation is only just
up and running there is already growing material support. Two impromtu fundraising events have been held
already, in Lincoln and Bolton, raising
£800 between them!
themselves sent back a large amount
of donated food after the last transport
in December.
All UK homing is now being coordinated through PAWS UK. It is
hoped that when full charity registration
has been secured it may make the process (particularly the paperwork!) for
importing dogs to the UK a bit easier.
PAWS UK is chaired by Barbara Williams, a
positive power house of energy who had
already put her building skills to good use
for PAWS (see article below). She immediately organised animal food collections outside various branches of the Pets at Home
chain. A large consignment of food will be
on the next transport van returning from
delivering dogs for adoption to Dogwatch,
our principal UK homing partner. Dogwatch
W.V.S. throws its weight behind PAWS
Worldwide Veterinary Service is a
major international charity working
all over the world to provide veterinary support for animals in need. They
offered their support to PAWS this
year on the recommendation of the
redoubtable Barbara Williams (seen
front in the photo, right) who has a
holiday home in the area.
‘Babs’ (as she is known to all) has been
a WVS volunteer since the charity’s
foundation 10 years ago. Babs is a
rare commodity among our women
volunteers, an experienced builder and
tiler. She arrived for a “holiday” in
Almeria in September - and left two
Just one of the food collections in
Hampshire, awaiting the next transport
van returning to Spain.
tion from WVS - an absolute godsend for
an overworked Shelter team in the midst
of a parvovirus outbreak.
Babs and Lucy will head a team in January
to begin building a new quarantine unit
for the Shelter, courtesy of a very generous £5,000 grant from WVS to supply
the materials. Labour will be free.
weeks later, having built a new kennel for
the Shelter! Her companion on the job was
fellow WVS volunteer Lucy Beach, a veterinary nurse in England. The two had
brought a large consignment of free medica6
The new “Austin” kennel, nearing
completion in September