dog adoptions fall to lowest figure in 3 years thanks to full implementation of animal welfare lawdata collected by the Affinity Foundation in its study He would never do it 2023.
The data reveals that In total, 77,000 dogs were adopted last yearwhich represents 45% of those who arrived in shelters, according to the foundation’s estimates.
It is striking that This figure is five points lower than that of 2022. and marks a historic low in recent years, in a year, 2023, in which the animal welfare law was launched at the end of September.
785 animals every day
In all, More than 286,000 dogs and cats were collected by animal shelters in 2023approximately the same number of animals as the previous year, divided between 170,712 dogs and 115,970 cats.
This data means that 33 animals are collected every hour, or about 785 every day, which means, according to the Affinity Foundation, that Their owners decide to release 23,890 of them from their environment every month..
In fact, the organization stressed that Such a low number of dog adoptions has not been recorded since 2020when 79,900 found a new home (49% of the total dogs collected).
Delays in adoptions
Among the characteristics that most delay the adoption of dogs, the Affinity Foundation highlighted the fact that the animal belongs to one of the breeds considered potentially dangeroushas behavioral problems, is large, suffers from a chronic illness and is of advanced age.
However, the organization indicated that cat adoption has shown a slight recovery. Thus, after the decline recorded in 2022, last year 56,500 adoptions were reached, 1,500 more than two years ago.
92% success rate
In the study, Affinity Foundation mirrored that of the 133,000 animal adoptions (77,000 dogs and 56,000 cats) carried out in 2023, approximately 92% proved to be successful and almost half of the dogs collected were ultimately adopted.
Of the 8% of adoptions that failed, 32% of animals returned to shelters were due to problems with the animal’s behavior.
In 15% of cases, the adoptive family reported finding the responsibility greater than expected. Other causes were related to change of address, allergies, lack of space or timeand economic difficulties.
Boom of abandonment
The Affinity study comes after OKGREEN published a series of reports on the situation experienced by professionals and volunteers who provide services to shelters. grotesque situations because of the conditions in which dogs arrive at shelters.
According to Andrés León, president of the Association for the Protection of Animals and Plants of Vigo, Many animal shelters and associations are overwhelmed due to the large influx of abandoned animals, especially dogs, to the point where we can no longer accommodate any more.
More than double the number of dropouts
The cause, according to León, is the misinterpretation that the owners give to the new Animal Welfare Actwhich has raised fears of sanctions from dog owners.
Specifically, León points out that since its launch, “more than twice as many dogs are being abandoned than before” and that the conditions in which they arrive are increasingly worse.
The law promoted by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 20230 has a significant impact on the rights and welfare of animals according to information and testimonies collected by OKGREEN.
Neck injuries
As this newspaper learned from Ione Alonso, a veterinarian who assists abandoned dogs, these animals have several deep cuts in different areas of the neck, normally on the left side, as this is one of the standardized areas for neck placement. chip in dogs.
Some microchip extractions carried out with “any utensil used for cutting: knives, razors, cutters, blades“, Alonso notes, which causes “a deep wound, done with betrayal and without knowledge, regardless of the pain or the integrity of the animal.”
Removal of the microchip
Among the consequences and dangers of this heinous practice is “the risk of damaging or severing important vessels that pass through the neck, such as the carotid or jugularwhich would lead to the death of the animal,” warns the veterinarian.
Ione Alonso was categorical in stating that “it is illegal to remove a microchip. No one can do it, not even a professional veterinarian, because it would be commit a serious crimesuch as cosmetic mutilations (cropping of ears and tails) in some breeds of dogs. When dogs die, the microchip is removed from the database of the corresponding autonomous community, but it is never deleted.
