What Is The Profile Of The Abandoned Dog Like?

Dogs are the world’s favorite pets. Many are the people who adopt a dog as a company and it becomes part of the family, as one more member. However, despite the love that flourishes on the surface and the many good intentions , the numbers of abandonment (also those of abuse) remain very high. For this reason, we want to clarify what is the profile of the abandoned dog.

The profile of the abandoned dog is more or less standardized. The vast majority are medium to large and mixed breed specimens.

Spain, without official figures on the profile of the abandoned dog

In Spain there are no official figures regarding the abandonment of domestic pets.

By law, neglecting (also mistreating in any way) a companion animal is punishable by up to one year in prison, according to the seriousness of the offense committed.

The only data available belongs to the annual study carried out by the Affinity Foundation. From there useful information emerges to frame the problem:

• 100,000 domestic animals are abandoned in Spain annually.
• 81% of abandoned dogs do not have a specific breed.
• 35.6% of dropouts occur in summer.

What fate do these dogs have?

• Only 45% of these animals find a home.
• 16% are returned to their original owners.
• 12% remain in shelters and foster homes.
• 7% are euthanized.

Some specialists maintain that these figures are partial. They believe that the number of animals abandoned annually exceeds 320,000.

What is the profile of who abandons a dog?

More important than defining the profile of the abandoned dog, it would be a priority to identify the humans who leave a pet behind. The same report from the Affinity Foundation gives ideas in this regard. To do this, it establishes a ranking with the most common causes put forward by the owners to renounce the animals :

• Unwanted litters: 15%
• Behavioral problems: 13%
• End of hunting season: 13%
• Economic factors: 12%
• Change of address: 9%
• Loss of all interest in the animal: 8%

It is also important to note that only 66% of the dogs that are separated by their families, are left to their fate on the street. Only 34% are transferred to public or private reception centers. What’s more, of this last figure, only 30% is carried by its former owners.

Dogs to be fashionable

Unfortunately, a significant percentage of people who decide to adopt dogs do so to follow a fashion. Midway through the “selfie” era, constantly posing with a pedigree pet has become a matter of status.

Another frequent problem is related to people who were unaware of the vital needs of each specimen (food and specific care, exercises, among others).

For this reason, there are several organizations in Spain and around the world that are working to stop pets from being seen as inanimate objects. It is that they can be used for a while and then discarded, without further ado.

It should also be noted that the bulk of the population has become aware of the role that domestic animals play in families.  Do not forget to promote the respect due to these living beings.

Summer: the fateful season for the abandoned dog

Almost 40% of the abandonment of dogs in Spain take place during the mid-year holidays. Determining the causes does not require much imagination: for many families, taking pets out for the summer is, in addition to being uncomfortable, very limiting.

Not all accommodation facilities allow animals beyond those intended to help people with a physical disability. In addition, paying an extra ticket on a plane trip is a luxury that not everyone can afford.

Another factor to consider is that the average price of temporary residences for dogs is around 15 euros a day. This cost , depending on the time spent away from home, can also be considered a difficult expense to bear.

Education and awareness

The efforts to reduce the number of cases of abandoned dogs are far from reaching the proposed objectives. However, much progress is being made little by little.

Education is part of the solution. From an early age, children must be trained to respect as an equal all the beings around them, including their domestic pets.

The little ones must be fully aware that adopting a dog is a major responsibility : they are animals that must be guaranteed their maintenance and care, in addition to dedicating time and love to them.