About Auxilio Animal
Auxilio Animal (Animal Aid) was created in 2000 by Adelaide Groos and Udo Unbehauen. Before forming the association, both had worked as volunteers with various other animal protection associations in Gran Canaria. Since most of the animal protection associations are devoted almost 100% to the care of abandoned dogs and not cats, they considered it necessary to start a new association devoted to help the cats of the island. The main goals where the neutering and spaying of the cats on the streets and in the touristic complexes to prevent them to reproduce uncontrollably.
They were both horrified by the cat situation in the south of Gran Canaria, as the streets and many resorts were full of sick animals, hungry and also reproduced quickly resulting in more and more cats roaming around.
The idea of Mrs. Groos and Mr. Unbehauen was to create a partnership involving both politicians and employers of the various hotels on the island to solve the problem of uncontrolled reproduction.
The initial proposal was to make a contract with the different resorts in which Auxilio Animal would be committed to spaying and neutering animals, maintain control over them ensuring that these cats were healthy and provide adequate care for a happy life. This initiative was welcomed by many of the main hotels in Gran Canaria. These hotels had, in turn to commit to pay a monthly fee to cover expenses and enable an area in the complex or hotel where water and food bowls would be at the disposal of the cats.
The attempt, however, to involve the regional politicians and receive support to help prevent neglect and mistreatment of animals, unfortunately did not yield fruit, despite the perseverance of Mrs. Groos, Mr. Unbehauen and the volunteers of Auxilio Animal. Given the reputation of the island of Gran Canaria as a tourist paradise, this lack of support and help is incomprehensible. Mrs. Groos have had to hear many complaints from tourists that where disappointed and appalled to see sick and undernourished cats everywhere and have threatened to not return to the island while this situation is allowed to carry on.
Over the years, Mrs. Groos, as president of the association and with the collaboration of several volunteers, has largely succeeded in controlling the reproduction of cats of various complex south of the island and has assured a minimum quality of life for many of them. This, however is a very intensive daily work that requires much time, dedication and effort.
In the summer of 2010, and after 10 years of intensive work, Ms. Groos, afflicted by a poorer health and lack of time, decides to leave the presidency of the association and take contact with a group of volunteers from another animal protection in Gran Canaria.
And thus, a new era of Auxilio Animal is born. The new members decide to make some important changes in the association which include, among others, expanding the territory to include the whole island of Gran Canaria and also, to equally protect dogs and cats.
Slowly, the number of volunteers willing to get involved in our project, is increasing, spending part of their free time in helping finding a better life for the dogs and cats. Auxilio Animal, can also count on the very valuable help of Maria Templeman, a dutch woman who has saved the lives of thousands of street dogs during the last 15 years.
On the other hand, we have finally obtained the use of a finca (belonging to one of the volunteers) where we are able to accommodate several dogs and cats while they are awating adoption. We hope, that in a not too distant future, we will be able to collaborate and receive help from the municipal institutions. We are convinced that in order to solve all the problems related to the animals, we will have to make firm proposal to the politicians, where among other measures we would like to organize castration campaigns and that stricter and harder fines are imposed on the ones who mistreat animals. To achieve this goals, it is very important that the different animal protection associations on the island unite, to demand the attention of the politicians and make them aware that an animal on the street is a problem that concerns our society, and that the adoption of our animals in foreign countries is not a long term solution, that we need to fight in our country to make the population aware of the responsibility it is to own an animal and the respect these deserve.
The current work of Auxilio Animal, covers different parts of the island:
- Bañaderos (The Dog Pound): Our volunteer Nayra has been volunteering there as well for the last 2 years, dedicating some hours each week to help with the cats.
- In Cruce the Arinaga, Cristina has been feeding and neutering cat colonies and some dogs for the last 3 years.
- In San Fernando de Maspalomas, Vicente and Rosario has neutered, fed and given veterinary assistance to many cats.
- Carmen and Maria Luisa care for more than forty cats living in the Salobre Golf area.
- Jose Luis and his aunt Pilar are responsible for the castration of about a hundred cats living on the seafront of Playa del Inglés.
- Ms. Gross takes care of many cat colonies spread over many touristic resorts in San Agustin, Playa del Inglés and even as far away as Mogan.
And finally, we would like to indicate that we rescued 16 dogs (July 2010) from being put to sleep at the Maspalomas kennel. Some of these dogs have already found a happy home and the rest are still waiting.