Andy Merryman's Page

We are a family of four who have been living outside of Valencia, Spain for the past year. While we have been here we have been volunteering at the local dog shelter which has been a heart wrenching experience for us all. Until we volunteered there was no one that helped the one man employed to clean and feed over forty dogs everyday. We started putting up fliers in our town and soon people started appearing to help walk dogs, some even came to adopt. The townspeople were interested and allowed us to put fliers in their windows and more came to try and help. Kids wanted to come as well and on Saturdays we would have fifteen kids to hold puppies and help walk dogs. The local people soon became angry at the horrendous conditions, the sick dogs and the uncaring woman who is the so- called president of this refugio for dogs. My dream had come true that we alerted the local people to take a stand and to get them involved so that a change could be made for these innocent creatures.

Soon, the president held a meeting of all volunteers and informed everyone that there were to be no more volunteers except for myself and my husband and one Italian woman (only because we are not Spanish therefore thinking we could do nothing to expose her and the horrible conditions). Now, everyone is furious and we are in the process of making formal complaints accompanied by pictures of literally starving dogs. It will be a slow and difficult process in this country as there is little sympathy for animals be they dogs, bulls, etc.

When dogs are abandoned here and enter this refugio they usually die within a week if they are puppies (few are adopted) but it is worse for the older dogs--some arrive sick and many quite healthy but regardless, most begin a swift decline in health, weight, and energy as they sit in their rusty stinking cages hoping they will be among those who get a 10 minute walk on Wednesday or Saturday. On all other days they sit in their own excrement awaiting meagre rations. If their cage mate is strong, they don't even get that. Adoptions are rare since the "refugio" is open to the public only two hours per week and usually fails to do even that. Fortunately, some dogs are sent to northern Europe where people view animals differently.

I hope all of us who are lucky enough to live in Boulder for so many reasons will always appreciate The Boulder Valley Humane Society for the incredible work it does for all the animals in our community and beyond. It is comforting to know that if an animal needs help in Boulder it has a safe, warm place to go where it will get vet care, daily walks by volunteers, food and a clean, disease free place to live until the right person comes to give it a home. Andy Merryman