The DANA, which devastated provinces like Valencia, Málaga, Albacete and Cuenca, left in its wake a series of flooded municipalities, deaths and disappearances. But not only people, but also animals. From the first hours of the storm, authorities worked to save pets that neighbors were unable to take with them. In fact, many of them ended up on the streets or in improvised shelters, like that of Sporting Benimaclet football field (Valencia).
Hundreds of volunteers said the transfer is incessant. They work tirelessly to save lives and relocate those who do not have an ID chip. “They arrive full of mud, in a state of shock, some with infections and parasites”explained Carolina Ugarte, spokesperson for Sporting Benimaclet. So far they have collected more than 230 dogs, around a hundred cats and farm animals. They need fostering and care until they are definitively adopted or until their owners ask for them.
The volunteers of this football field organize in collaboration with the Burjassot Animal Protection Agency. They do it in tents where they collect non-perishable food, supports, harnesses and equipment to help animals and heal their wounds. Likewise, they need antiparasitic drugs because many of them arrive in these centers. full of mud, full of fleas and very scared.
These are not the only initiatives carried out at DANA’s “ground zero”. In Chiva, one of the most affected municipalities, there are organize volunteer veterinarians. “(The animals) suffer from pneumonia, trauma, injuries, we try to locate them and send them to veterinary centers for treatment,” explained Álvaro Cervera, one of the volunteer veterinarians.
In turn, they demand that use drones to locate, rescue and transfer animals to safe places so they can have a second chance.
