Starting the week off in royal fashion, we welcomed Prince (now Dexter) to Barcelona! Prince is a bull-breed mix (boxer mostly) who was in a high kill shelter in Granada, Spain. The shelter was recently purchased by new owners who have plans to convert it into a dog boarding facility. This meant that they were going to put down all the current occupants. In this dark time, Laura, a big-hearted, fearless woman living near Granada managed to get Prince out and worked with us to organize a quick vet visit and transport to Barcelona.

To try and arrange this on such short notice is risky, as we all know Spain isn’t a very timely country, but Laura managed to pull it off and everything went off without a hitch! Prince arrived in Barcelona Wednesday morning in good spirits and without peeing in his crate (a little under 24 hours in there!!!!!). Gatalunya members Sarah and Morgan met him in Sitges, at his new home, and went to town on the paperwork and appointments to get him a PPP license.

A PPP license is required for all “potentially dangerous dogs” (literally standing for Perros Potencialmente Peligrosas) in Spain. This is required, by law, for all bull-breed dogs or any bull-like dogs, as many times the police classify the dogs by looks, and not actual breed. A list of traits they describe as a PPP dog are: muscular, short hair, strong character, wide neck and chest. This law is based on the assumption that even if the dog isn’t itself dangerous, but that they could be put in a dangerous environment and cause harm, so that the owner is the one under review. It’s a bit confusing to us too, as any dog could be dangerous, but we’re not going to let that stop us from finding homes for these kind of dogs!

The process to get a PPP license is a tough one, though, and many times new owners are daunted by this requirement and opt to take a less “difficult” dog, leaving so many PPP dogs in shelters across the country. To get a PPP license in Spain, you must complete the following paperwork:

-have all vet records up to date in the dog’s cartilla (booklet of vaccinations) this includes chip, vaccinations, and tests

-buy yearly civil liability insurance

-a psychological evaluation (of the owner!) at a designated medical center

-standard health check for eyesight and strength (again, for the owner)

-get a criminal background check

-register the dog with the municipality

-pay the license fee

Adopting a PPP dog comes with a lot of responsibility but it’s 100% worth it! Prince is our first rehomed PPP dog and we learned a lot! We’re gearing up to take on more PPP dogs in the coming months. Big thank you to Drew for offering Prince a warm, loving home, and to Laura for literally saving his life.

In other dog-related news, our girl Dana’s time is up at her current foster and she will be moving to a location farther out in the countryside. She suffers from severe separation anxiety and needs to be worked with on her behavioral issues. We have contacted Catalin, the trainer who took in Ritchie, to aid her in this challenge. In the meantime, she is still looking for her forever home! She’s the most loyal and devoted dog out there, we promise you’ll be adopting your best friend for life.

This week Zeus also made a move, but sadly his was back to the shelter. He is an elderly dog that suffers from aggression issues. He needs a home without other dogs or cats, and without children. The behavioral specialist recommends a home with a man because he is a very protective dog and his aggression issues stem from this. Think you’re the perfect person for him? Message us for details!

A little update on the shelter: we are still pretty much in the dark here, but the owners of the shelter have finally made a public announcement about the potential closure, which means things could start moving soon. We continue to fight to find homes for the dogs still located there and will continue to do so until the very end. But with this closing looming over our heads, we have begun to think about the future of Gatalunya and where we will go from here.

The reality of the situation is that there are animals in need all throughout Spain. We are fortunate that Catalunya has some rules and regulations in place for their wellbeing but sadly those don’t exist in other areas of Spain. We are broadening our vision while continuing to aid the animals that come across our path here in Catalunya. We will provide medical attention and rehome as many animals as we can while aiming to educate the public on the importance of responsible pet ownership. Think this is something you’d like to get involved in? Join us in this fight! We are always looking for volunteers, both physical and virtual.

Cant wait to see where this adventure takes us!

Weekend Update: 7/4/2019