Expats Warned After A Spate Of Dog Poisonings On Favourite Spanish Beaches

Expats in Marbella are being warned to make sure their dogs are safe when on the beaches as a poisoner strikes again.

To date, one dog has died and four others are seriously ill after ingesting poison whilst being walked on La Cabana beach. Local vets are raising the alarm, saying the poisonings are similar to last year’s 15 dog deaths in Nueva Andalusia. The poison used has not yet been identified, but vets are warning families with small children to avoid the area until after the rains come and wash away the contaminant.

The beaches concerned are all popular with expats, their families and their pets, as well as with tourists, with the Playa de las Moreras strand where 300g of poisoned pet food was found especially designated for dogs and their owners. Police are now investigating the poisonings and are including Playa Gachero and Cobaticas beaches in their search for traces of the poisons used. Dog owners are being warned to rush their pets to the nearest veterinary surgery should they show signs of nausea, and parents are being told to keep a close eye on very young children.

Better news for Costa Blanca’s stray dogs came last week when Denia town’s legislators turned down a development application from a company known for killing abandoned pets. After public pressure was brought on Seproanimal SL and the local government, the Asociacion Protectora de Animales de Denia (APAD) is now expected to win back its contract with the town hall, lost due to a budget error in their application. Seproanimal SL is known for euthanising unwanted stray dogs after just two months, with APAD’s Change.org petition attracting over 20,000 signatures before it was closed.

Mother of the petition’s authoress and volunteer with APAD Sue Jorgenson told local media the huge number of signatures and other public pressures seems to have convinced Seproanimal they’re not welcome in Denia, with the town hall’s reversion of that company’s contract confirming their perception. The animal shelter and its dedicated expat and Spanish volunteers will continue working with the local police in rescuing and caring for abandoned dogs in the region, with its multinational volunteers continuing as Sue’s ‘community’ now her husband has passed away. APAD has always adhered to a ‘no kill’ policy, except in the case of terminal illness.