28/09/2013 00:00
TW
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FOR the third year running, the animal rescue association, S.O.S. will be holding a fund-raising festival today in Puerto Portals, starting at 4pm.
As is traditional, there will be a competition for the most unusual mongrel, a tombola with some extremely attractive prizes (such as dinners, a weekend away at hotels in Caliva, a round-the-island cruise, a CD copying machine, a television ...); a children's drawing competition, live music, and as a new feature this year there will be a small market. Money collected at this event will be put towards the purchase of a new animal transportation van. The valuable work of the S.O.S. animal rescue association was started in 1995 with the aim of helping creatures in need. It is now celebrating its tenth anniversary. The centre, which is currently located at Calvia dog pound, shelters some 60 dogs and 50 cats, all of which are waiting to be adopted by caring owners. S.O.S. works to a fixed timetable so that people who are interested in viewing the animals should visit between 9am and 10am, or between 5pm and 6pm. If these hours do not suit, make a previous appointment by telephoning 670-367485.
OWNER PROFILE
Before releasing an animal to be taken into the household of a new owner, the centre's organisers take into account the lifestyle of the applicants and recommend the dog which is considered to be the most suitable for their circumstances. The adopter is responsible for payment of the identification microchip carried by the dog and also its registration and veterinary papers. In many instances, the animal rescue centre makes a follow-up visit to the creature's new home to see how owners and pet are getting along.
The organisation also has a web page giving profiles of the animals taken into its care so that people living in Germany, Switzerland and Austria have the opportunity to adopt them. In order to transport the creatures to foreign lands, S.O.S. has a system whereby volunteer travellers act as guardians of the animals for the duration of the journey. The philosophy of the centre is only to have an animal put down when it is really necessary, for example in the case of extreme physical suffering.