It's hard sometimes to get messages across and I try really hard with my website news and stories and my Facebook pages and groups. Sometimes I worry that I do too much and maybe you get fed up and stop looking. Someone on the comments mentioned how there are so many petitions and so much information about animal welfare, that it waters down some of the very important messages and issues. It is hard to get a balance. I feel so strongly about the whole situation in Spain that I think and worry about it 24/7.
But I want to ask you for help, advice and input with the work I do for ACTIN? Sometimes I feel very alone, I know you are all there and that’s why I want to reach out to you. I have committed by setting up ACTIN and I don’t want to let the animals down. So I cannot walk away or give up because its so hard.
There is good news, so please don’t think it is all negative, impossible and terrible. ACTIN has made some great contacts and we have been joined by a lawyer, who has many good contacts in the right places. She is working night and day, speaking with the people who have the power to change the Perreras; putting together laws and planning to reform old laws; making laws for owners of pet dogs; speaking with people in education, all this in Murcia for now but hopefully it will reach out further in Spain. A lot is happening, or ‘being cooked’ as our animal welfare lawyer puts it. She is positive, so WE must be as well.
I see my role in Actin as one of bringing awareness, helping to educate, being an advocate, making the right contacts and researching valuable information and passing it on to the right places. I cannot do it alone…
One of the ideas I had was the ‘walk of awareness’, the fourth one will be on this Saturday 23rd February. I wonder if those that are near enough might be able to make it? I will tell you more about why I think this is a good initiative, or perhaps you could set something up in your own area?
I was speaking with my dear animal rescue friend last night and we were talking about how little the Spanish villagers know about their animals. Sometimes it isn’t because they are cruel but because they are simply not educated about illnesses such as Leishmania, Erlichia, they don’t know about vaccinations, some don’t even realise an animal can be castrated. These people need to be informed and so I want to make information especially for this and get it out there to them. The problem is these people are not on Facebook and they don’t read newspapers, or articles. The only way is to get out there and give them information, speak with them, post information through their letter boxes. This is one of the reasons why I thought the once a month, ‘get out there and speak with the people’ idea could be so valuable…fun too. It gets us off all the sadness in Facebook for a few hours and is something different which I believe could work, if we can get it to take off. People in other countries can do this as well…for Spain, or maybe if they have problems in their own country. It is a big commitment to do this once a month but the more people involved and doing it, spreading it, the more we can be heard!
Chained dogs
One of my saddest feelings is for all the chained dogs I see. They are in every village, even some of my friends have chained dogs. These poor creatures are so unhappy. I know of one near here, who has been on a chain for his whole seven years of life. I want to put together a really good poster and leaflet about this. We know why a dog shouldn’t be chained up all the time but we have to remember that our thoughts and feeling towards animals are different from many of the people’s who’s attitudes we want to change. So let’s bring together all of our thoughts on this. What can we say to make an impact? A few lines about how a dog can be a better pet without being chained, a healthier pet if a few Euros is spent on it…just some ideas please, for my next leaflet. Will you help me?
Neutering campaign
Actin have put together an information leaflet about why it is important to neuter your pet. It is in Spanish and English if anyone wants to use them. We also have our awareness T-shirts, and soon our Billboard will go up near Cartagena. So yes, we are only 8 months old since we started but we are active and putting together campaigns - we are doing something, we just need your help and support.
Please watch DARMUR the organisation that is being formed by our Spanish animal welfare lawyers. It will soon be launched and they will be doing a lot of things.
If you haven’t joined my Facebook group click here >> Animal Welfare support Murcia – AWSM then please do. It is a good place to discuss and give and share ideas about all the things I have mentioned in this message.
I just want you all to know that I am so proud to be a part of this network of people who are doing so much for animal welfare in Spain. The aims and objectives of ACTIN are on this website, have a look and give us feedback if you will? I personally spend a lot of time seeing what is happening and am sometimes so saddened and depressed by what I see, I feel like I cannot carry on as it hurts my soul but then I think again and realise that YES - things are happening – I wont give up and there are those out there doing so much, who have given up their lives and had their lives turned upside down by the frontline work they do in rescue. They need support and they need to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and there is. But the problem goes very deep here in Spain, wrapped up in culture and the economy and lack of education, so it is no easy task. But there is light and it is because of people like you. Let’s stick together…
Viv
ACTIN Spain
Taken from ACTIN-SPAIN
