REPORTING ANIMAL ABUSE IN SPAIN
Firstly, some advice from protectapet about the cultural differences between what may be seen as unacceptable animal abuse to some people from different parts of Europe, and what is viewed as an acceptable (or legal) way to treat an animal in Spain.
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"What we do have to remember is that pets in Spain are not as pampered as perhaps we are used to. Dogs, are mostly used as working dogs here in Spain. So before you denounce your neighbour for keeping his dog chained up in his yard… remember that as long as it has food, fresh water and shelter from extreme weather of any type… then the Police may not agree that depriving it of a blanket is tantamount to animal abuse."
Thanks to a couple of tools and websites, one from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, and another from the ´Animal Party´/ Partido Animalista PACMA, anyone who is concerned about an animals welfare in Spain does not need to be concerned, or intimidated by the possibility of understanding local law or the processes required to make a report about animal abuse.
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Both tools open the process to anyone facing problems with language.
OPTION 1:
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AlertCops is a free mobile application, created by the General Sub-Directorate of Information Systems and Communications for Security (SGSICS). It has a new functionality, called “animal abuse”, which will allow any user to inform Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil of animal abuse discreetly and immediately.
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In real time, users can use the "animal abuse" icon to immediately report abuse when they witness it. Users can choose whether they want to communicate the alert by call or by chat. It also gives the option to attach photos or videos about the event.
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The alerts will be sent to the closest police centre where the corresponding action protocol will be activated.
OPTION 2:
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Current advice from The Citizens Advice Bureau of Spain:
The ´Animal Party´/ Partido Animalista (PACMA) has developed a website called ¨Yo Denuncio / I denounce¨ with information on how and where to denounce animal abuse with the relevant authorities, with a set of tools to make the process accessible to all.
OPTION 3:
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If you are unable to use either of the other options, please contact us and we will do everything in our power to help you.