A temporary home Facilities Health care Adoptions Therapy Games and exercise Maintenance

The ANAA re-homing centre has been built to house abandoned animals while they wait for a new and permanent home. The centre is run by keepers and volunteers who work altruistically every day to make sure that inmates are kept in the best possible conditions. During their stay with us, our animals are given all the care and veterinary attention they need, and are housed in the most comfortable conditions possible. Everything we can is done to make the re-homing centre a temporary abode, for it is our desire that all our animals be adopted and live in good homes where they may have a second chance for happiness. Back to homepage

All the facts about our re-homing centre. Back to homepage

All animals arriving at our re-homing centre receive thorough veterinary attention. We have a team of 4 vets working daily at the ANAA Veterinary Clinic and at our re-homing centre to ensure that our animals are in good health. In addition, every Saturday, they are on duty all day to attend to those wishing to adopt a pet, giving advice on how it should be cared for, and before leaving the centre, the newly adopted animal is fitted with a microchip and vaccinated against rabies. Dogs and cats arriving at our centre are kept in quarantine for a period of time, during which they are submitted to a clinical examination, and blood tests to detect diseases such as Leishmaniasis or Ehrlichiosis; they are deparasited, and as soon as they are in a good state of health, are neutered. Healthy animals of a good nature are then available for re-homing. Any that are not adopted are regularly deparasited, blood-tested and vaccinated annually, and externally deparasited every week. If any animal requires hospitalisation, it is taken to a 24 hour clinic, where it remains until well enough to return to the re-homing centre or is taken to a temporary home if convalescence is necessary.

Sometimes puppies are adopted before their vaccination schedule has been completed, and in this case ANAA will give the remaining shots free of charge for the new owner providing this is done at our veterinary clinic or the re-homing centre itself. Annual re-vaccination is not included in the donation for adoption, but this may always be done at a special low rate at our re-homing centre or veterinary clinic. Cats are given a blood test as soon as they arrive to detect diseases such as Leukaemia and feline immunodeficiency. They are then deparasited, vaccinated and sterilised, following the same quarantine and revaccination schedule as the dogs. Back to homepage

All our animals are with us on a temporary basis, and ALL OF THEM are seeking a new permanent home. Some are so old they are not adopted and remain with us until their death. In this case, we do our best to offer them the happiest life we can. Whenever anyone comes to adopt a new pet, they are welcomed by our volunteers who ask a series of questions to make sure they will be suitable owners. If the potential adopter is judged competent to care for a cat or dog, he or she is then shown the animals available for re-homing, and informed about the nature and needs of each individual. We always try to find the right pet for the right owner, guided by the indications and requests we are given. Once an animal has been selected, the future owner and dog visit our vet, who fits the latter with a microchip, gives it a rabies shot, and advises the new owner on how to care for his pet. The owner then completes and signs an adoption contract, of which he/she receives a copy, together with the microchip certificate and the dog’s vaccination card. We have a small shop where adopters may purchase the bare essentials, such as collars, leads, feed-bowls, etc., and accessories such as beds, cleaning material, toys, treats, deparasiting products, telescopic leads, etc. We often find that nobody wants to adopt certain animals because of their physical appearance, breed or plain bad luck. In this case, we may recur to adoption in Europe, mainly in Germany, where we are in contact with associations for the protection of animals which we have either known for years or are recommended to us by other trustworthy associations. These animals are taken to their destination by air or road, sometimes to temporary homes, re-homing centres, or to permanent families who, accompanied by a representative of the German association, collect them at the airport. On later journeys, we visit animals adopted previously, and usually receive pictures and letters from new owners telling us how our animals are getting along. In some countries like Germany, there is a much greater awareness of the need for animal protection and this makes it possible to carry out difficult adoptions. But we must insist that THIS IS NOT THE SOLUTION.

Sending dogs and cats outside Spain is a last resort, an emergency measure for animals that need it, but we have to fight to bring the level of animal protection in Spain up to a par with Germany and other countries, thereby reducing the number of abandoned or mistreated animals, giving priority to adoption as a first choice for acquiring a pet and doing away with the myth that "if I adopt an old dog he won’t last me long" or "if he is sick or old I don’t want it, I’ll feel sorry for it, and I don’t need more responsibilities than I’ve got already.” Back to homepage

Sometimes our dogs come directly from a situation of mistreatment or are so confused that they enter a state of shock, reacting with fear and panic to people and noises. Some volunteers dedicate their free time to trying to help these dogs become sociable and lose their fear so they may be candidates for re-homing and happiness. This type of therapy may last for just a few days or drag on for months, and though it may be a hard and difficult task, in the great majority of cases, the result is positive. Certain experience, and above all patience, is required when dealing with a timorous animal. Sometimes we even read them stories since it is good for them to get used to the human voice. This relaxes and calms them, so that they gradually lose their fear, but is only part of the therapy required. We also have a specialist in animal behaviour who advises us and helps whenever he is able. Back to homepage

Everyday, inmates sharing the same kennel are taken out to run loose in our 8 exercise yards, for over half-an-hour. Each Saturday, a group of volunteers walks them on a lead to accustom and educate them. They are also set loose in the "playground" where they run with us and play with balls, sticks, etc. This is their weekly share of love and affection, the most fun part of our work as volunteers, and certainly when they are at their happiest. This is usually how our new volunteers start when they join us; as a way to get to know the dogs and how the centre is run, before moving on to other tasks (although, there is always something to clean, too). Our sponsors also come to spend time with their pet beneficiaries, taking them for walks and giving them bundles of love! So if you decide to sponsor a pet, you can come to spend time with him/her on Saturdays, taking a walk, or playing… Back to homepage

A group of willing volunteers fixes and improves our facilities at the dogs’ home. We call them the "Fix-it team" and no task is too great for them. We need cement, the fridge needs fixing, the lights black out, a door is broken... they always find a solution for everything, and we are so grateful because they save the association considerable funds that can instead be used to the benefit of our animals. But we do want to say that, no matter how many capable volunteers are available, we always need construction materials and tools such as drills, hammers, nails, ropes, trowels, etc. So if you have some spare materials at home, we could certainly put them to a good use! Back to homepage