By Phil Egginton
Abandoning animals is treated seriously by the authorities in Portugal. However, sterilisation is not the norm. Animals breed and can be made homeless. To help with the problem, there exist several rescue centres for animals across the Algarve. These can be independent charities or council run.
The Lagos Câmara Municipal Canil, is a good example of one owned and run by a council. An enthusiastic small team under the supervision of the veterinary officer, Dr José Carlos Fernandes de Sousa, operates the Canil. The council provides all the basic needs to home, feed and look after the health of the animals. The team do a great job. Seeing the care and love they give to all the animals brings tears to the eye.
The Canil is always looking for opportunities to help rehome cats and dogs to their “forever homes”. Unlike many of the local charitable rescue centres, they lack extensive space to walk, run, train and play with dogs. This is essential for preparing them to fit into our homes. A local resident Susanne Lotström, originally from Stockholm, came up with an idea to enlist social media to help. When Susanne and her husband moved to Lagos in 2017, she joined a Facebook Group which brings together local Scandinavians and quickly became aware of the Canil. Susanne wanted to get involved and knew the Swedish community, which has a great love of pets, would want to help. Susanne formed a Facebook ‘group’ entitled Svenska Volontär Lagos Canil.
Rapidly, support both in terms of time and money was gained from the local Swedish community. Donations of unwanted items including a washing machine helped make more efficient use of the Canil team time. Volunteers offered their time to walk dogs. Within weeks the Facebook group had substantially grown and incorporated volunteers beyond the Swedes. Now called Friends & Volunteers of Canil Municipal de Lagos, the Facebook group is now one year old and has 974 members. Aged from 18 to over 65, many live in Portugal but it has substantial membership from Sweden, UK, Holland, France, Finland, Germany, indeed throughout Europe.
Daily volunteers will turn up to walk dogs. New volunteers are always welcome and indeed holidaymakers are welcome to help as well. More details on the Facebook page (details below).
Using the Facebook group means photo stories and videos can be shared. This shows the dogs and cats with their own individual characters. It is so difficult to judge an animal’s character by a simple photo. The group allows volunteers to tell the story of the dog. How well they walk, how they behave in public and how much they develop over time. Unfortunately, some dogs have only ever known the environment of the Canil, having been taken in as puppies. By walking the dogs, they learn to socialise with humans. A vital step in rehoming them.
The international nature of the group means dogs and cats are not just rehomed locally. Forever homes have been found in Sweden, Finland, Germany and the UK for example. In 2018 some 255 animals found their new forever homes through the success of the group.
Phil Egginton is a motorsport consultant and journalist who has now retired to the Algarve. Phil is also a volunteer dog walker at Lagos Canil and has recently adopted two dogs of his own from there.
