2013 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 2013
PAWS ‘in need of renewal.’
The end of 2013 and beginning of
2014 provides many of us with time
to reflect and project. Reflecting,
PAWS has survived for 24 years.
Some years stand out with a particular challenge. 1996 saw the challenge of charity status achieved. In
2002, PAWS was given 30 days notice to vacate the Vera shelter.
2011 was the year PAWS Holland
closed down, cutting off a main
source of funding and homing dogs.
The fires and floods and heat and
frio have passed and been overcome. And yet PAWS survived and
survives.
But PAWS is currently facing a challenge of a different kind…. it’s manpower for the future. Along with an
undreamed of budget to earn annually and a limited shelter facility,
people and volunteers are the most
basic, fundamental resource to
PAWS.
With its evolution and long history,
some of the committee and volunteers who have been active since
inception are experiencing shifting
priorities, ageing, bereavements,
illness, family obligations, and generally slowing down. Even the management at committee level is as
affected as a dog walker, shop clerk,
A letter from PAWS President,
Karen Polansky
Inside this issue:
Shelter Life
2
Homing news
The Cattery
3
3
Volunteers
4
Fundraising
4
Shop News
A Dutch Farewell
5
6
the committee. It is worrying that PAWS
officers and committee are particularly vulnerable just as all volunteers are. Volunteers are a special and elite group to PAWS
but also limited.
or ticket seller.
course of time.
No one can stop the
PAWS has always needed a troop of volunteers on the ground to maintain the
shelter and animals, sorting and serving in
the shops, and mounting the fundraising
initiatives which allow us to reach our
main goal – homing as many abandoned
and sometimes cruelly ill-treated animals
as possible. To that list of volunteers, we
now need new energy, ideas, and commitment at the executive level as well.
Each and every volunteer is driven by a
certain ability or aptitude and/or simply
passion for animals. At its administrative
level, PAWS committee is no different.
Procedure, professionalism, and good
perspective all play an important part in
1
Many volunteers have come and gone, but
some have been active since the beginning
all those years ago. My own involvement
has been rich with experience, learning,
giving, friendship, and feeling of contribution. The true reward though comes one
hundred times over when you catch the eye
of a PAWS animal curled up in a forever
basket and see the ear-to-ear smile on the
face of the owner.
I would ask you to look around and see if
you yourself or someone you know has
something to offer on any level of PAWS
work. It might be experience, expertise, or
any sort of support. PAWS would love to
hear from you. We need you. The animals
need you. Come and join us. Spread the
happiness and share the load. I predict,
2014 will be another good year for PAWS.
Meet us on www.paws-patas.com and read
what it is all about.
Page 2
The Local Bark
S h e l t e r R e p o r t - We lcome to “The Firing L ine”
“Welcome to the front line of PAWS’ endless uphill struggle to deal with the abandoned dog problems of
half Southern Spain.” Well, it is probably not quite bad as that would suggest, it just feels that way sometimes!
large sections of the public. Two dogs
came into the shelter (separately) with
broken legs. We simply didn’t have to
money for the necessary specialised
operations, so put out an appeal to the
public – who responded immediately
and fully (along with some volunteers).
Now Pouchy and Trick (below) are
doing really well and nearly recovered.
In some ways PAWS is the victim of its
own success. We home nearly 400
abandoned animals each year, and perhaps because of this there’s a growing
public perception that somehow it is
our responsibility to take in every unwanted dog or cat in the area.
The reality is that often that the shelter is
full to overflowing. Dumping at the shelter
gate has been a problem for many years,
but we have been hit by two particularly
heavy assaults in 2013 – 35 dogs (32 of
them puppies) during two weeks in August
and 30 in three weeks of November.
The vet’s room and the shelter office had
to be used as emergency quarantine areas,
and in November we even had to pile ca- Dogs living temporarily in the transport
ges in the transport van to house them. van, waiting for proper kennel space.
neutered) or microchip them, a legal
precondition for adopting a PAWS dog;
and the local authorities who receive
subventions from Andalucia to deal with
stray animals (PAWS gets nothing) but
won’t enforce the existing laws.
Seven of the 32 puppies dumped at the
Shelter in a 12 day period during August.
Staff and volunteers had to take animals
home with them because they were poorly
and needed special care and observation.
Yet people still arrive at the gate – and
react with either disappointment, disgust
or outright anger to being told that we just
can’t take in any more at the moment.
PAWS doesn’t cause the problem. That’s
down to individual owners who won’t neuter their animals (all PAWS animals are
“Sometimes the stress is appalling” says
Shelter manager Yvonne. The two parttime staff and 20 volunteers only work
at PAWS because they are passionate
animal lovers sacrificing a great deal of
time and often their own money to protect those we have already taken in. We
try to help whenever we can, but we
can’t achieve miracles. Dealing with
angry or disappointed members of the
public only adds greatly to an already
high-stress occupation.
However … We do receive huge and generous support and appreciation from
2
We have lived all year under the shadow of the enforced closure of our
main Dutch homing partner Reddingsboei (see tribute, p.6). But our Dutch
Liaison Officer Renée Fortuin has
found two capable replacements in
Stichting De Koningen and Stichting
Smakterheide.
Already-established
partners Dierenhulp Zonder Grenzen
will take over the role of the association responsible for all the procedures
for our mixed-breed dogs homed
through our website
The first transport under these revised
arrangements is expected to leave
early in the New Year.
The Local Bark
Page 3
PAWS leads public campaign for cats
We are sending very few cats to new
homes abroad, because of the difficulty of
transporting them. The organisation we
worked with previously has moved its
focus elsewhere, and cats generally don’t
travel well unless individually accompanied.
PAWS takes in and finds new
homes for vastly more dogs
than cats (as the homing figures below demonstrate) –
which leads even some of our
loyal supporters to assume
PAWS is solely a dog rescue
charity. NOT SO!
We have limited space in the
small cattery, but the cat team
has been very active during 2013
in vigorous campaigning on cats’
behalf, and in the neutering programme with a sharp rise in the
number of stray cats treated.
PAWS led a publicity drive to halt
a reported plan by Almeria Council to round up and slaughter a
whole colony of feral cats in the
city. A council spokesperson denied they had plans to put down
the cats – but remained conspicuously silent on what their plans
actually were were for the large
number being held in very poor
conditions in the Municipal
Pound.
While PAWS dog team suffered
its worst ever year for dumping
unwanted dogs in the shelter
vicinity, the summer intake of
Dog & puppy Homing
Total homed (so far)
Spain:
Holland:
Germany:
The garden area of the cattery
kittens was mercifully fewer than in some previous years. There is evidence that pest control
companies are being called in to trap and poson
stray cats – a wholly illegal activity, which the
Guardia Civil will prosecute if it can catch the
cuplrits.
Oliver, a real cattery favourite who is now
living very happily in a new home in Holland.
Cat & Kitten Homing
232
31
152
Total homed (so far)
37
Spain:
34
Holland:
3
8
Feral cats neutered
157
UK:
41
Still in PAWS care:
35
Still in PAWS care:
81
Waiting list:
7
3
So inevitably the homing figures are
down. But we have had amazing success
in placing several hard-to-home cats with
very elderly ladies. The comfort and companionship which animals can bring to
lonely and elderly people is one of the
great rewards of volunteering at PAWS.
Peggy is 90 years old, lives on her
own and lost her beloved Yorkie
early in 2013. Peggy knew she
couldn't cope with walking a new
dog, but felt she could still cope with
a cat without any outside assistance. So she chose Paris. "She makes
my world complete,” she told PAWS,
"you're not taking her back to the
cattery!"
Thanks as usual to our vets who are always there in an emergency and to our
dedicated fundraisers who help fund our
stray cat neutering programme.
Page 4
The Local Bark
PAWS ‘biggest challenge’: manpower for the future
In her speech to the AGM last January our president
Karen Polansky described volunteers as “the beating
heart of PAWS.” But in her end-of-year letter (see Page one) she identifies the biggest challenge facing the
society as “manpower for the future.”
In October the PAWS committee appointed a dedicated Volunteer Recruitment Officer, Anneli Lofstrom, to remedy the loss
of volunteers to age, illness and economic factors which we
have suffered over recent years. Anneli began with a bang,
recruiting a dozen new volunteers to several different sections
of PAWS with the first two months.
Ana and Brian
Our ‘Caravan’ volunteers continue to arrive in a steady stream
from elsewhere in Europe, and do a tremendous job looking
after the dogs at the shelter. Many are doing formal internships as part of their college courses in animal management.
And they go back at the end of their time here and spread the
word about PAWS. Dutch volunteer Tessa Bootlink told us
“My experience at the PAWS shelter was just amazing! I have
never learned so much on a internship.”
“It’s true that Spain has had a culture for centuries of not caring
about animals, particularly domestic ones” says Ana. “But that is
changing – something which not
all expatriates have taken on
board. I have Spanish friends who
are enthusiastic animal lovers, but
they are afraid to approach PAWS
because they may not speak English well and see it purely as an
organization for foreigners.”
Ana is keen to start breaking down the barrier between the
host community and its visitors. She hopes to organize a multicultural event in 2014 at Vera School – with more than 800 pupils, one of the biggest in Andalucia. it could feature animal
welfare and PAWS as an area where the two communities can
work side-by-side.
“If we can reach young people with the idea that animals can
be the most amazing companions and shouldn’t be abused,
that is a big step forward in promoting a more positive society
for the future. But it’s not just the Spanish who need to adjust
their thinking. Not everyone - but some expats need to follow
suit as well!”
But the shortage has been more acute close to home. When
Ana Isabel Garcia arrived to volunteer at the shelter in June
she proved to be a rare asset: a Spaniard who speaks excellent English – not surprising when you learn she is Head of
English Studies at Vera school. And after six months in PAWS
Ana has some very interesting observations to make.
Anyone interesting in volunteering can contact Anneli direct at
anneli@madridbs.com 670 070 779
Fundraising - coffee mornings … and a bit more!
In its early years PAWS used to raise money by having coffee mornings. Sometimes it still does - but it now does a few
other things as well.
Band concerts, a guitar recital, a fashion show,
a “Zumbathon,” a golf tournament, a sponsored walk and multi-stall events like Animal Fun
Day and the Christmas
Fair are just some of
the activities we have
organised in 2013.
Eileen Kilmurry (on
right) raised €900 on
a sponsored walk of
part of the Camino
de Santiago.
It takes a team of around 20 volunteers to lay on one of the latter.
And like other areas of PAWS we
have struggled recently to keep a
regular fundraising team together.
We lost our Fundraising Coordinator in the autumn, but are
hoping to elect a new one at the
January AGM. But although our
loyal helpers have carried on regardless one person deserves a special
mention. Siobhan Tattan agreed to
do one event for PAWS three years
ago, the Hippies on the Beach fiesta.
But as the old saying goes: Once
PAWS gets its claws into you,
there’s no escape.
4
Siobhan has become PAWS powerhouse major events organiser, staging
three concerts and the Christmas Masked Ball in 2014 – between them those
four events raised a truly impressive
€13.000.
The Local Bark
Page 5
PAWS now has THREE charity shops.
PAWS opened a third charity
shop
in
November 2013,
PAWS@Buganvillas, to supplement the income from the two
existing ones. It is a shared venture between PAWS, two fulltime mangers and an independent team of volunteers.
We are facing increasing competition
from other charity shops which have
opened in the area, but PAWS has
such a dedicated following that income from the two present shops in
Mojacar has held up surprisingly
well, even in a tough economic climate. That has meant continuing help
for animals who badly needed it!
The new shop, at the Las Buganvillas
roundabout on the Garrucha-Vera main
road, is five km. away and has its own
hinterland of the Vera Playa, Pueblo
Laguna and Puerto Rey villages.
Many are expatriate settlers who are
already PAWS supporters and who are
now making full use of the convenience
which another PAWS outlet on their
doorstep affords. After only six weeks
the Shop is already doing very healthy
business. A feature is that one week
every month there will be an Art or
Craft Demonstration there.
The main Corner shop in Mojácar
The “PAWS Shop” has long been an institution in Mojácar, and the main engine
for funding the Shelter and our homing
programme. Expanding to two, and now
three shops is simply a reflection of demand for PAWS services - a vindication
of the bargains available and the good
value PAWS offers. Great thanks as always to the many volunteers who give up
time to do all the sorting, washing and
pressing which has to go on behind the
scenes.
Items on display in the
Boutique, and
the shop sign
in the Arcade
which leads
to it.
“Better than in Vienna!”
Volunteer Elena’s verdict on the conditions for PAWS dogs
Nineteen year old school leaver Elena
Gittenberger spent two weeks this autumn as a ‘caravan’ volunteer at PAWS.
With the ambition to become a dog trainer she had previous experience of working at her local Shelter in Vienna, particuarly with some agressive dogs who
were difficult to home. So she was rather apprehensive about what she might
encounter in Spain.
“I was really surprised that none of the
dogs were aggressive against human
beings” said Elena. “The circumstances
for the dogs in the shelter at PAWS
are better than in the local shelter
here in Vienna. Every dog has the
daily opportuntity to get out for a
proper half-hour exercise.
“Every time I looked in the kennels
I thought: ‘Why are you still here
and not in a warm bed and living
with a family?’ The people who
run the shelter cared a great deal
about helping the animals, but
equally about helping volunteers
like me who were new to it.”
5
Elena is currently searching for an organisation in Austria who might take some
PAWS dogs when the transport van comes to Northern Europe.
Elena with one her personal favourites,
Kate, after a bath. “Thank you for the
amazing time I spent at PAWS - and I am
sure that I will come back!"
The Local Bark
Page 6
Reddingsboei Centre closes, but their hearts remain open.
PAWS last-ever transport to Reddingsboei departed from the Shelter on 4th December, and arrived at its destination the following day. The transport van arrived carrying not only 27 dogs, but a package of letters and small
souvenir gifts bought by PAWS volunteers for their Reddingsboei counterparts.
Reddingsboei entered PAWS firmament when we were at our lowest
ebb, in March 2011. PAWS Holland –
which had homed more than 1,000
dogs in Holland during the previous 10
years – had closed abruptly. PAWS
seemed to be facing only two bleak
alternatives – either drastically reduce
the scale of our activity to local
homing in Spain, or shut down altogether.
When former PAWS committee member Renée Fortuin came up with another organisation, Stichting de Reddingsboei, who might take some dogs
from us, the initial arrangement was
purely on a trial basis. Reddingsboei
did not know PAWS or in what condition they would arrive. If the 28 dogs
arriving on that first experimental
transport on 12th March 2011 proved
suitable, they might be persuaded to
take more.
Fittingly it was the dogs themselves who solved the
problem. The Reddingsboei staff were delighted
with with their health, condition and sociability and
immediately agreed to take regular transports from
us. By the end of that year PAWS had homed more
dogs in Holland than in any year since 2007!
The PAWS dogs committee saying their own thankyou to Reddingsboei staff worker Peter . Last year
they found homes for 165 PAWS dogs.
R.I.P. Inga Sykes 1929-2013
PAWS lost one of its
most dedicated supporters on 8th December when Inga
Sykes died suddenly
at her Mojacar home.
Inga was 84 and had
long been a very
conscientious shop volunteer, but supported
every kind of PAWS activity, and often threw
her home open to host fundraising events.
Less well known was her prívate generosity.
She had given large ’anonymous’ donations to
help fund Shelter infrastructure and improvements. She was a real trooper. We will miss
her greatly.
PAWS seeks new communications organiser and webmaster
PAWS needs to fill two important posts - a
Communications Co-ordinator to oversee all
PAWS public Information, including website
and social media content and press; the second post is the techical one of Webmaster.
The jobs were previously covered by one person, and could be again - but it more likely
they will be filled by separte people working
closely together. The webmaster will offer
technical service and advice on all PAWS electronic communications as well as maintaining
the PAWS website.
Help and advice wil be available from the
previous holder of these posts for as long as it
is needed. Full details available from:
pawsenquiries@gmail.com
6
Since then the Reddingsboei
community have become far
more to PAWS than just an organisation who take and home
our dogs. They have become
the truest of friends united by a
common love of animals – sending back large donations of
free food, fundraising for us in
Holland and making extra donations to the PAWS fund to buy a
new transport van.
We have known for a year that
they would probably be forced
to close after being taken over
by a national organisation. In
that time Renée and Shelter
Manager Yvonne have put together alternative homing
arrangements in the Netherlands so there should be no
crisis but simply a smooth transition to a new regime.
And while the Reddingsboei
shelter may be closing, the
community of friends will remain. They are looking for a
space to store food so they can
continue to fundraise and keep
the PAWS shelter well supplied.
So “Mil gracias amigos” – this is
not “Adios” but as PAWS president Karen said in a letter to
Reddingsboei “Hasta Otra.”