Lola, Frida and Tyson are among nearly three hundred pets living at the Barcelona Pet Shelter. All three of them were abandoned and have been waiting a long time for a new home. No dog is born dangerous, but the law considers these three potentially dangerous because their physical characteristics mean they could cause serious injuries. Dogs such as these are not very visible and are common at the CAACB. Along with other mid to large cross-breeds adult dogs they account for 14% of those who arrive at the centre and stay there a long time.

In an effort to promote responsible pet ownership and adoption, the CAACB and other animal protection organisations will be in Plaça de Catalunya on 21 and 22 December with Lola, Frida, Tyson and other animals waiting for a new opportunity.

Animals are not toys. They are living beings which need care and affection throughout their lives. The highest municipal authority for animal welfare in the city is the CAACB, which manages the service to help lost animals find their families and starts the procedure in the case of abandoned animals.

Cat and dog adoptions in figures

There has been a steady drop in the number of cats and dogs arriving at the CAACB this year, although the figure is still high, at 1,618 animals. In terms of adoptions, 858 animals have found a home (425 dogs and 433 cats). While the number of adoptions dropped by nearly 14% compared to 2018, it still represents a significant proportion of the number of animals arriving.

An estimated 14% of abandoned dogs live permanently at the pet shelter as characteristics such as their age, large size or mix of breed means they get left out when it comes to adoption.

Some 544 lost cats and dogs have been reunited with their families this year, thanks to the fact they were correctly identified.

The CAACB offers the public a website with the animals currently looking for a home, the goal being to promote responsible adoption. Besides information on the procedure, the website offers appointments for people to visit the centre.

Award for the campaign ‘gosSOS’

The awareness campaign #gosSOS, by the Area for Urban Ecology at Barcelona City Council, was the winner of the innovation award at the 11^th edition of the Gabinets de Comunicació Pilar Casanova awards, given by the Catalan Association of Journalists.

The goal was to promote the adoption of dogs from the CAACB. To this end the campaign put twenty dog statues around the streets to remind people about the importance of adoption and to denounce the abandonment of animals in the city.