Today we talk about the Scooby animal shelter, a shelter and sanctuary that we visited with the ARISTOPET team, and we are going to share images to try to transport you, if only for a moment, to that reality. We want to highlight the great human team that dedicates time and effort to ensure that all animals have a better life during their stay there. They have a clear goal of finding homes for all their residents, and this is where we want to collaborate with our small contribution, helping to promote this shelter and trying to find homes for all the inhabitants of Scooby. You can also help by sharing this post or by bringing one of them into your life, although you should always be aware of the work and time involved and make a responsible adoption. We assure you that sharing your life with an ARISTOPET is one of the best experiences and true love you can feel.
First of all, we want to thank Irene, who is responsible for keeping us updated on everything that happens at Scooby through social media, and who introduced us to Fermín, the president of this shelter for over 25 years. Hoover gave us a very interesting guided tour of the entire center and explained in detail the situation of each resident and the facilities. Miriam and Frank and more people who work at Scooby, people from many parts of the world who help out every day.
We asked them, and this is what they tell us about the shelter:
Scooby has been providing shelter for abandoned and mistreated animals for over 25 years. It was born from the initiative of several women who were concerned about the number of abandoned dogs in the Medina del Campo (Valladolid) area. In the 90s, Scooby brought to light the atrocities committed against Spanish greyhounds, and its work became international with the help of its current President, Fermín Pérez. Currently, foreign funding and adoptions in countries such as Holland, Belgium, Italy, and Germany are crucial for the NGO. For the first time, in 2015, the number of adopted dogs and cats exceeded the number of rescues, with 1138 adoptions. National adoptions are increasing every year.
Today, it is the largest shelter in Spain, with over 1000 dogs and cats residing in its facilities. It has centers in Medina del Campo (Valladolid), Valladolid city, Zamora, and Palencia.
80% of the dogs rescued by Scooby come from hunting. Most are "discarded" dogs by hunters and greyhound owners who can no longer make a profit or benefit from them, mainly greyhounds and podencos.
The massive breeding of these animals, hoping that a winner will be born among their ranks, means that our work never ends. It is thanks to international adoptions that we can continue rescuing animals. We make more than 15 trips to Europe each year to take our animals to their new homes. In addition, more and more adoptions are taking place in the United States.
Scooby rescues approximately 600 greyhounds a year. Some are donated by their owners, but most are found wandering abandoned. Many arrive injured or after being run over, requiring veterinary attention and, in some cases, very costly surgeries. The psychological effects in these cases are also significant.
After much effort, most of the greyhounds are adopted; only those who are very traumatized tend to stay.
Podencos, mixed breeds, the sick, or the elderly are not so lucky; these are the so-called "invisible dogs" who spend years in the shelter and even end up dying there.
On the other hand, the Scooby Sanctuary offers a permanent home to 200 farm animals that are victims of industry, entertainment, or any type of abuse. Horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs, cows, rabbits, raccoons, chickens, geese, ducks, etc. These animals are not put up for adoption, and we try to ensure they enjoy a long life in the best possible conditions at the sanctuary.
Scooby is mainly financed through donations, members, and merchandise sales. In addition, it provides abandoned animal collection services in several municipalities such as Palencia, Zamora, Salamanca and its province, and Medina del Campo.
Fermín, president of Scooby
http://www.scoobymedina.org/es/index.html
