The animal protectors collected 288,000 dogs and cats last year, a figure that represents almost 3% of the total number of companion animals that are estimated to live in Spain. This is clear from the study He would never do it 2022 that the Affinity Foundation has made public today and which confirms that the problem of abandonment and loss of domestic animals is not improving.
In fact, last year the protectors had to take care of more animals than in 2021. Specifically, they received 1.5% more dogs and 0.4% more cats. And although there are more dogs than abandoned or lost cats, the Affinity Foundation report ensures that the situation in which cats arrive is particularly worrying: only 3% arrive identified with a microchip, 15% are injured and 38% are sick when they are picked up, and 12% die during their stay at the shelter, a figure that triples that of dogs that died in the shelter.
The analysis of the animals that arrive at the shelter also shows the importance of sterilizing companion animals, because the main reason for abandonment continues to be unwanted litters (19% of cases).
The second most frequent reasons for getting rid of the animal are behavioral problems (12%), loss of interest in the dog or cat (12%) and the end of the hunting season (11%). However, cases of families that get rid of the animal citing economic problems (9% of abandonments in 2022 compared to 6% in 2021) or a change of home (8% of cases) are also becoming more frequent.
Regarding the profile of the animals that arrive at the shelters, the Affinity Foundation study indicates that more than half of the dogs are of adult age (57%), slightly more than a quarter (28%) are puppies, and 15% are seniors. On the other hand, in the case of expenses, half of those collected are puppies (48%), followed by adults (43%) and only 9% are elderly.
The authors of the report stress that cats are more vulnerable to abandonment for a number of reasons. In the first place because, unlike dogs, very few are microchipped (3% of those collected in shelters) and this makes it difficult to return them to their owners in case they get lost.
This has to do both with the fact that in many cases they are puppies from unwanted litters (and therefore are not identified with the microchip), and with the fact that cats are considered “home” and will not go outside. from home and therefore will not be lost.
The study data also shows that one in three cats collected by the protectors arrive in the months of May, June and July. On the other hand, the entrance of dogs in the shelters is quite uniform throughout the year, and 26% arrive correctly identified, which favors that they can be returned to their families when it comes to loss.
“We have measures within our reach to reduce the abandonment figures; the sterilization of the animal is key to preventing unwanted litters and the correct identification so that the dog or cat can be returned to its family in case of loss”, points out the director of the Affinity Foundation, Isabel Buil.
He adds that turning to an ethologist veterinarian or a canine educator can also help to avoid abandoning the animal due to behavioral problems, as well as the fact of reflecting well on everything that living with an animal entails before incorporating one into the family.
