| ARE ROGUE DOGS BORN OR MADE? Photos and story by Sheila Toney - May 2008 What turns a sweet puppy like this into a frightened “killer” like this? Dr. Sofia Vasconcelos of SPAD (Sociedade Protectora dos Animais Domesticos) has two possible answers. She explains: “In Madeira, dog owners sometimes want to make their animals extra ‘fierce’ so that they will be better guard dogs. Also, people, who lead busy working lives, often leave their dogs chained up at home all day until they return from their jobs at night. Dogs are social animals and so they need love, attention and exercise in addition to food. It is a very bad idea to try to make them more aggressive so that they will frighten intruders away. Dogs are territorial animals and they will soon raise the alarm by barking at strangers; their very presence makes them good guardians of the home”. Sofia tells the story of the so-called “killer dog” (pictured above) as an example of the disastrous results which can follow from the bad treatment of normal animals. “Two women living in the São Martinho area of Funchal kept three dogs in a small house where each dog had its own room. The women were terrified when one of the dogs became aggressive towards them and then killed one of the other animals. The women were afraid to leave the house so they telephoned SPAD for help. When our staff arrived, the women were at first afraid to open the door to let them in. One of our clinic assistants, Bruno Correia, eventually entered and was able to catch the problem dog without any trouble. The dog was aggressive only to its owners and not to our staff”, Sofia said. The dog, which was taken to SPAD, shook with fear whenever anyone approached him. Despite patient efforts by SPAD staff, he was too traumatised by past ill-treatment to regain his trust in people and, sadly, he had to be put to sleep. Lucas, aged seven, is a “gentle giant” now but earlier in his life, he was also branded a troublesome dog. He had been in the care of SPAD since 2006 when he was brought in with his mother by owners, who did not want them. He was adopted but his woman owner soon returned him to SPAD, saying that he was “very energetic and had run away after a cat”. He came back very thin and was diagnosed as having skin cancer. Lucas had a change of fortune when he was sponsored by the Vice President of SPAD, Doctora Michelle Quintal, who paid for his medical treatment and frequently visited him to give him attention and walks. Lucas recovered his health and was found a new owner in Germany (she previously adopted a Saint Bernard, so she is used to big dogs). Lucas needed an extra-large crate in which to travel to Germany and to make the journey easier for him, Dra. Quintal gave him one of her T-shirts to lie on. He was met off the plane by Barbara Linkis, the German grandmother, who has found a new home for him – just as she has found adoptive owners in Germany for more than 800 other SPAD dogs over the last 12 years. May, 2008 |
| WAVE OF CANINE EMIGRATION FROM MADEIRA For years, Madeiran people have moved abroad to find new opportunities for a better life. Now, increasingly, hundreds of new emigrants are following their example. They are the Island’s unwanted dogs in the care of SPAD – Madeira’s Society for the Protection of Domestic Animals. The dogs are being found new homes in Britain, Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and other European countries, where they are particularly prized for their gentle natures and robust health. Christopher is typical of the many SPAD strays soon to travel to a new home abroad. A large energetic dog with a big personality, Christopher today bears little resemblance to the half-starved animal found as a stray by a British couple in Santo de Serra last October. David Roberts, a cabinet-maker and sculptor and his wife, Barbara, who live near Chichester in England, took Christopher to SPAD. They returned to the U.K. determined to adopt him. The dog has passed his blood test for rabies antibodies and already he has his own pet passport. As soon as he has completed his quarantine period, he will join David and Barbara in England. Menina is another SPAD emigrant-in-waiting. A beautiful, friendly little dog, she was noticed by another British couple, Reg and Sheila Limpkin of Battle, East Sussex, while they were staying on holiday at the Pestana Bay Hotel in Funchal last Christmas/New Year. Menina (Portuguese for “young lady”) was living in the hotel grounds with her litter of puppies. Reg and Sheila decided to adopt the dog and they contacted SPAD for help, before they returned home early in January. Menina and her two puppies are now in the care of SPAD at their Funchal kennels, while she waits for the completion of the formalities, which will enable her to travel to England. Foreign adoptions of SPAD’s stray dogs have been greatly increased, over the last 12 years, by a 69-year-old grandmother, Barbara Linkis of Warnemunde, near Rostock in Germany. Astonishingly, Barbara has single-handedly taken more than 800 unwanted SPAD dogs to new homes in her country. She says simply: “I feel it is my mission in life to take Madeiran dogs to start new lives in Germany. There, they are loved a lot because of their sweet dispositions, perhaps because some German breeds are noted more for their intelligence and strength than for their kind natures!” Barbara makes frequent visits to Madeira for “working holidays” as a volunteer for SPAD. She helps out with cleaning, feeding and walking the dogs. “Most of all, I give them lots of love and attention”, she says. After her most recent visit in February this year, Barbara returned home with nine dogs, which have been adopted by German families. She has six SPAD dogs of her own and she also runs a “cat village” for 40 animals. Barbara tells heart-warming stories of the improvements, which adopted dogs have made to their new owners’ lives. “For instance, there was this eight-year old boy, so ill with a serious respiratory disease that he had to receive frequent cortisone injections. After a cute, white dog called Jacky arrived from Madeira to live with him, the boy was completely cured”, she recalls. Another remarkable recovery from chronic illness was experienced by an elderly woman called Marlene from Barbara’s home town of Warnemunde. She had suffered from depression for eight years and was under constant treatment at her local clinic. The arrival of a dog from Madeira meant that Marlene started to go outside her home to take the animal for walks. Her depression lifted and now, after three years, she remains completely well. Because her ship’s doctor father had told her that Madeira was “a paradise”, Barbara had always wanted to come to the Island but she was unable to do so until travel restrictions for East Germans were lifted some years ago. On her first visit here she saw a dog running between cars on a road in Funchal. She took charge of the animal and later arranged for it to be adopted by a family in Schleswig Holstein. That was the start of her campaign to facilitate German adoptions of Madeiran dogs. Over the last 12 years, Barbara has noticed a great change for the better in the way that animals are cared for on Madeira. She says: “A major improvement has come about through the work of SPAD’s dedicated staff, especially young veterinary doctors, such as Sofia Vasconcelos and Raquelle Estudante” She adds: “Even though animals are better treated on Madeira these days, there is still an urgent need for SPAD to receive more help and support from animal-lovers everywhere. I have been especially saddened by the sight of many homeless puppies, which are brought to SPAD without their mothers.” Sofia agrees that the multitude of motherless puppies does present SPAD with an ongoing problem. She explains: “We neuter five dogs every day but still the number of puppies on Madeira keeps rising. They all need homes with caring owners so we want many more people - local as well as foreign - to adopt them and also more volunteers to help us look after the hundreds of beautiful animals (cats as well as dogs) in our care.” (April 2008) |
| February 2008 - Fritzie's Story: Fortune seemed to be smiling on a seven-week-old puppy found straying on a levada in August this year. She was placed in the care of SPAD (Madeira’s Society for the Protection of Domestic Animals) and almost immediately adopted by a German couple, the Klockgether’s. Plans were made for the puppy, named Fritzie by the couple, to travel to their home in Bremen, where she was to join two other dogs previously adopted by the Klockgether’s during a holiday in Spain. Then disaster struck. Fritzie became ill with distemper and the Klockgether’s – still determined to adopt her - waited anxiously while she was treated by veterinarians at SPAD. She was cured of the disease but that was not the end of her troubles. No sooner had new travel arrangements been made for her than she developed a fungal disease on her paws. Again, she was successfully treated at SPAD. Finally, after much delay and restored to full health, Fritzie has travelled to Germany and is now happily settled into her new home with the Klockgether’s and her new canine friends. Fritzie’s story is only one example of the many overseas adoptions achieved by SPAD. João and Christopher were both found by tourists on levada walks. Starving and in poor condition, they were brought to SPAD where they are at present being nursed back to health. When they have recovered, they will both be adopted by their rescuers. Joao, who was half-starved and suffering from heartworm disease, has been adopted by a German animal-lover, Corina Bus, who made a special return visit to Madeira in January to collect him. Christopher was also starving and weak when he was brought to SPAD by a British couple, Barbara and Ken Roberts. He is recovering well but he must spend six months in quarantine on Madeira before he can travel to England to join his adoptive family. |
madeira4u - Sheila Toney's webpage about animals and their welfare on Madeira
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| Please e-mail your views to sheila.toney@yahoo.co.uk You can contact SPAD by e-mail on spadfnc@gmail.com or by telephone, (351) 291 220 852, or fax (351) 291 236 433 |
| February 2008 - OASIS OF HOPE FOR MADEIRA’S STRAYS One of the lucky ones…… Fritzie was found a new home in Germany. She is pictured relaxing in her basket alongside two other abandoned dogs, rescued by her owners from the streets of Spain They have known only neglect or abuse in their young lives. Now, in the safety of the Funchal head-quarters of SPAD (Sociedade Protectora dos Animais Domesticos), the unwanted strays of Madeira wait patiently yet eagerly for one last chance of a new life. In all colours and sizes (smaller animals are easier to re-home because of the shortage of private gardens on Madeira) the abandoned dogs wriggle in delight as they greet their human visitors. Most are beautiful to look at but more importantly, almost all are friendly and trusting. None seems to harbour ill will towards people – the species, which caused them so much suffering before they found temporary sanctuary here. The sad truth is that not all these lovely animals will enjoy a happy future with caring owners. Of the 3,500 stray cats and dogs taken in by SPAD each year, fewer than half find new owners. The lucky ones, such as Fritzie, go to local homes or start new lives abroad (in Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands or the United Kingdom) where dog-lovers particularly value Madeiran strays for their happy, affectionate dispositions. SPAD is the third oldest animal protection organisation in Portugal, having been founded in 1897. It is a private institution associated with the RSPCA and also a public utility service whose main objective is the direct protection of animals – in particular, abandoned ones. There is accommodation for 150 strays in the municipal kennel at Sitio do Vasco Gil, which is under SPAD’s management with the Municipality of Funchal. |
| BECOME A FRIEND OF SPAD (SOCIEDADE PROTECTORA DOS ANIMAIS DOMÉSTICOS) how you can help Give a donation of money (by PayPal if you wish) or supplies; dog and cat food pellets; collars, leashes, food and water bowls; beds and towels. Be a voluntary worker in construction, cleaning, gardening, walking / grooming dogs; fund-raising and promotional events. Annual membership to join SPAD costs Euros 15 initially and Euros 15 afterwards. Adopt an animal for Euros 25, which includes the costs of de-worming, vaccination shots, micro-chip identification and neutering. Sponsor a cat or dog for Euros 25 per month. Have your pet neutered. Use the SPAD veterinary clinic, grooming services and lodging facilities, all proceeds from which are spent on the care of abandoned cats and dogs. Remember SPAD in your will. Visit SPAD's user-friendly website (available in English, Portuguese and other languages) at www.spadfnc.org If you have a problem relating to animals or animal welfare, contact SPAD by : e-mail at spadfnc@gmail.com or telephone 00351 (from outside Madeira) 291 220 852, or by fax 291 236 433. SPAD, RUA DO MATADOURO 10A, 9050-100 FUNCHAL MADEIRA, PORTUGAL SPAD founded in 1897 - An Associate of the RSPCA |
| Sheila writes press releases and articles about SPAD for the English-language Press on Madeira as well as for madeira4u. Check here for regular updates and new stories |
| SAD STORY ENDS ON HOPEFUL NOTE - By Sheila Toney They peep out from a corner of their home where their loving owner almost killed them all because of her ignorance of animal care and welfare. This is a familiar scene to the staff of SPAD (Madeira’s Society for the Protection of Domestic Animals) whose outgoing Administrator, Suzette Steyn explains: “The owner of these animals was accused of not caring for her pets and inspection by SPAD proved the allegation to be true. As with many local people, she was completely ignorant of the fact that her dogs had mange and were desperately in need of treatment. She understood even less that the animals were suffering.” The owner of the dogs tried to convince SPAD staff that the dogs had a problem with fleas and just needed a bath. This was despite the fact that some of the animals had already become blind. Others in the group were very weak and all had been in- breeding for years. Because the owner loved her dogs and knew that they loved her, she refused to give them up and they had to be forcibly removed. “This was a terrible situation for SPAD to assist in”, Suzette continues. “The animals sensed their owner’s distress and arrived at our headquarters in a terrible condition. We bathed and sheared them to discover the extent of their problems. We were shocked to find that, although the dogs were not under-nourished, they were all diseased. We were able to save only two of them. These were both neutered, de-wormed and vaccinated before being returned to their owner – once we had inspected the premises and spent a long time educating and informing her about animal care”. Suzette adds: “At no time was the owner guilty of malice – it was a simple case of ignorance. Today, the dogs are living happily with her and SPAD staff check on them from time to time to ensure their continued welfare and good health” Sometimes animals are reported as living in poor conditions when this is not the case at all. Bad relations between neighbours can result in false accusations of cruelty to animals being made to the Police and to SPAD. After 11 years as Administrator of SPAD, Suzette recently resigned to return to her home country of South Africa (March 2008) |
| Sheila's Archive SPAD & animal stories from past months |
| Barbara and Veterinary Doctor Sofia Vasconcelos with a homeless puppy in the care of SPAD. |
| Would-be emigrant Christopher will travel to England soon. |
| email address for PayPal donations to SPAD spad@iol.pt |
| SPAD clinic assistant, Bruno Correia is pictured with Lucas, the "gentle giant" with too much energy for one of his owners |
| This page last updated 13th August, 2008 |
| “GIVE A DOG A BAD NAME…..” by Sheila Toney These dogs have done nothing wrong. Well-behaved and affectionate, they have never shown aggression either to people or other animals. Why then have they been rejected by their owners and turned out of their homes? The reason is that new legislation coming into force on Madeira has branded them as belonging to “dangerous breeds”. The “mixed” pit bull terrier (right) is only eight months old. His owners adopted him from SPAD some months ago. All went well and he settled happily into his new home. Recently, however, his owners read in the newspapers that pit bulls were listed as belonging to a “dangerous breed” and that keeping them would be subject to new requirements and restrictions. The couple, parents of a young child, took their pet back to SPAD. Tuxa is a Rottweiler (another “dangerous breed” according to the new legislation). She is also a sweet-natured animal but her owner’s wife (who suffers from a nervous illness) panicked when she read that Rottweilers were legally considered “dangerous”. Tuxa was also returned to SPAD. Apart from losing her home, she has an extra problem. She has the “heart-worm” disease, Filaria. This often-fatal disease, which is caused by mosquito bites, afflicts around 20 per cent of Madeira’s adult stray dogs. There is a cure – effective but expensive. A course of treatment costs up to Euros 100 for a medium to large dog and a bit less for a smaller animal. SPAD evaluates all the dogs coming into their care with Filaria and tries to keep as many alive as possible. For a dog like Tuxa, friendless and without an interested sponsor or owner, the outlook appears bleak. SPAD Veterinary Doctor, Sofia Vasconcelos does not agree with the new legislation governing so-called dangerous breeds. She explains: “Any animal of whatever breed can be dangerous – it all depends on how it is ‘raised’ and treated by its owners. I myself have a large Newfoundland dog (although his breed is not listed as ‘dangerous’) and, despite his size, he is affectionate and gentle. I realise that society must be protected from dangerous dogs but I feel that the new law goes too far and exaggerates the risks of owning certain breeds”. cont. |
| "Mixed" Pit bull terrier adopted from and returned to SPAD |
| Tuxa the Rottweiler returned to SPAD |
| NATURE DOES NOT ALWAYS KNOW BEST By Sheila Toney When it comes to animal welfare, Nature’s ways are always right and people should never interfere with them. That is the philosophy of many Madeirans but Veterinary Doctor Sofia Vasconcelos of SPAD (Sociedade Protectora dos Animais Domesticos) says that the belief is completely wrong and causes untold suffering to thousands of the Island’s unwanted cats and dogs. She explains that the “Nature Knows Best” theory is based on a series of myths. “This mistaken idea is causing us a big headache because we are having to cope with large numbers of puppies and kittens being brought to SPAD without their mothers. For instance, we have just received seven kittens accompanied by only one female adult cat and not all the kittens are hers. The animals were living in a house where there were a lot of strays and our staff members were not able to catch all the mother cats. We cannot go on receiving all these tiny animals without their mothers as their chances of survival are poor”. Sofia went on to appeal to the general public to have their pets neutered. “We at SPAD do not encourage any owners to breed from their animals. In fact, it is a condition of adopting a dog or cat from SPAD that the animal will be neutered”. Gradually, the traditional resistance towards neutering is beginning to change among local people. Sofia gives the example of two dogs recently brought to SPAD. “We received an 18-month-old pit bull terrier called Diana. The owner asked if his lost dog had been taken into SPAD. He did not know of recent legislation governing the keeping of pit bulls and other so-called “dangerous breeds” of dog. Despite the new restrictions, the owner wants Diana back and she will be returned to him as soon as she has been spayed and complies fully with all the other legal requirements”, Sofia said. She continued: “A four-year-old female Labrador was also brought into SPAD and the owner came to us asking if we had her dog, which she had originally adopted from us. Our Vets told the owner that her pet should be neutered and they pointed out that she had broken her agreement by failing to keep the appointment to have the free operation carried out. The owner said that she wanted her pet to have puppies but she will be allowed to have the dog back only after the neutering operation has been carried out”. |
| This cat is not the mother of all these kittens that were found together in a house |
| Why do some people resist the neutering of their animals? Sofia lists a number of myths that may be to blame. Myth 1. “For the good health of the pet, it should be allowed to have at least one litter of pups or kittens”. “Not true”, says Sofia. “There are more dangers in pregnancy and labour than in the neutering process. Neutered animals live longer than un-neutered ones. Statistics show an 80 per cent less risk of mammary tumours in spayed females, especially if they are neutered before their first season. Also, they will not suffer from uterine infections – a very common problem among older non-spayed animals”. Myth 2. “Neutering will change the personality of the animal”. Sofia: “Untrue, although male animals may become a little less aggressive – but that is good! Female cats and dogs may become very slightly less energetic but the effect is almost imperceptible”. Myth 3. “Neutered animals will become fat”. “That will be true only if the animal is given the same amount of food as it was used to before the operation. The size of meals should be reduced somewhat and today, there are even special foods available for neutered animals”, Sofia says. Myth 4. “It is not natural to have animals neutered”. Sofia: “Of course that is true but neither is it natural to interfere with animals’ mating instincts by keeping them locked up in the house. They suffer much less stress if they are neutered because it is cruel to stop them from going out freely to find a mate. It is even worse to let them out to produce huge numbers of unwanted puppies and kittens. People should remember that a female cat has three seasons a year and a dog has two. If a dog lives for six years, she can produce scores of puppies”. Myth 5. “Neutering causes pain to the animal”. “Not true”, Sofia says. “The operation is carried out under general anaesthetic so it is completely painless. During the recovery period which, in animals, is often only a few days, pain killers are given to prevent the dog or cat from feeling any discomfort”. Myth 6. “If my dog gets out and reaches a female on heat (even if that means breaking into someone else’s house or garden) then that is not my responsibility and anyway, what does it matter?” Sofia answers: “If owners think that allowing their animals to breed uncontrolled does not matter, then they should come here to SPAD to see the results of their irresponsible behaviour!” Myth 7. “Neutering is very expensive”. Sofia: “Considering the beneficial effects to animals, the cost of surgery is not high and can be paid in instalments. For members of SPAD, the fees for neutering are: Female cat – Euros 112; male cat – 77 Euros; female dogs, small and medium size – 120 Euros; large females – 140 and male dogs – 96 Euros. |
| Staff members at SPAD, saddened at the rejection by owners of so-called dangerous dogs, had reason to smile again recently at the good fortune of a brown puppy called Shirley. It had been planned for six-month-old Shirley to accompany another SPAD dog, named Lucas, to Germany. There they were to be met off the plane by Barbara Linkes, a 69-year-old German grandmother, who was to find new homes for both dogs in her country. Barbara, over the course of 12 years, has already found adoptive owners for more than 800 unwanted SPAD dogs. Everything went according to plan until airline officials announced that, because there was no room on the plane for Shirley’s crate, she could not travel to Germany. The pup was returned to SPAD but she was not to remain there for long. Flight attendant, Therese Wilms, who is also from Germany, had befriended the little dog at the airport and she promised to return for her to take her to join Barbara. True to her word, Therese got up at 3.00am a few days later to catch the 5.00am flight to Madeira. She collected Shirley and returned with her to Germany – all on the same day. “I decided to travel back for Shirley because, for me, it is relatively easy and cheap to fly”, Therese said. “I so much wanted her to have the chance of a new life with caring owners”. Shirley is now safely in Germany with Barbara, who hopes to find a new home for her shortly. Sheila Toney, June 2008 |