First Multi-charity Online Pet Adoption Portal Launched In Spain

Spain’s first-ever multi-charity online pet adoption site has just been launched, covering the popular Costa Blanca expat destination and its rescue centres.

The innovative online portal, adoptapet.es, is the brainchild of marketing duo Caroline and Mats Rennstam, following on their survey of 23 Spanish animal shelters. Although the couple are at present living in London, they’ve owned a home in Moraira since 2015, and are determined to use their expertise in marketing to slash adoption waiting times for rescued dogs, cats and even horses.

The survey revealed over 50 per cent of all cats and dogs in animal rescue centres will remain in the shelters for at least six months before finding a new, loving home. During a media interview, Mats highlighted one shelter in which all the rescued pets had been for at least a year. The charities, he said, are very well run and have many expat volunteer helpers, but their turnovers of rescued animals aren’t good, adding he’s recently sold his UK business and is determined to do what he can to improve the situation.

The new web portal is self-funded, and is unique in the field of pet rescue and adoption as it provides free marketing for numerous animal shelters in Spain’s Marina Alta region. Since the site’s launch just a week ago, six shelters have uploaded their pet profiles, 20 more are planning to do so as soon as is possible and three dogs have already been rehomed as a direct result of the website. The couple’s dream is to expand the site region by region as the word gets around until the majority of pet rescue charities are involved.