Reporting animal cruelty in Spain

There are very few of us living in Spain that have not seen animals being treated less than fairly. So how can we go about reporting animal cruelty in Spain?

What we do have to remember, is that pets here are not as pampered as perhaps we are used to. Dogs, for example, are used for two purposes – as working dogs (hunting, for instance), or lapdogs. So before you denounce your neighbour for keeping his Galgo chained up in his yard… remember that as long as it has food, fresh water and shelter from extreme weather of any type… then the Police may not agree that depriving it of a blanket is tantamount to animal abuse.However, when you do see something serious – rest assured that Seprona (the environmental division of the Guardia Civil) do take these things seriously.

If you suspect animal abuse is taking place… here is how you can make a complaint.

1. Head to your Guardia Civil Station. Don’t bother going to the other police forces, as they cannot assist you.
2. Take as much evidence as you can. Photos, videos, dates… anything you can think of. If you can provide directions and a map, this will also help
3. You will also need to take some identification. NIE / Residencia or a passport should suffice
4. The Guardia Civil officer will help you to fill out a denuncia. A copy of this will be passed to Seprona to investigate – but you should also receive a copy
5. You can follow it up later on by taking your copy of the denuncia to the station

Elle Draper

Elle, along with Alan, is the owner of Spain Buddy and the busy web design business – Spain Web Design by Gandy-Draper.
Born a “Norverner”, she then spent most of her life “Dann Saff” before moving to Spain in 2006. Elle’s loves are Alan, the internet, dogs, good food, and dry white wine – although not necessarily in that order.