Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
On Friday, July 25, volunteers at the Andalusian Horses Rescue Centre (ARCH) in Alhaurin had a memorable evening when the Guardia Civil appeared in complete darkness.
The men were carrying 10 horses, with very little warning. SEPRONA, Guardia Civil’s specialist unit for the protection of the environment and nature, confiscated them earlier that same day after they were allegedly neglected and mistreated by their owner.
ARCH was unaware of the animals’ condition or details before their arrival. The driver said that he saw dead animals on the site, and more than 100 dogs were also confiscated. Only four equines appeared to have microchips and no documentation was provided for them. SEPRONA informed ARCH the owner had refused to attend the removal of the animals.
In addition to the current residents, The Rescue Centre now shelters two large mares and a mare with an unborn filly, two pony stallions of small size, a donkey, a gelding aged over 50, and two donkeys. One of them looks pregnant. All of them need immediate care. Budgeting for extra hay, hard feed, vaccinations and dental care is necessary. All animals will also need farriers to fix their hooves.
The charity will be under a lot of pressure, and the volunteers who care for the horses are going to have a lot more work. ARCH takes neglected and abused equines from SEPRONA but receives no financial support from the authorities—even covering the costs of the transport in rescues such as ARCH. In order to continue its work, the charity needs to appeal to friends and supporters as well as the general public. Please visit the ARCH website to donate. www.horserescuespain.org/donations. All donations will be used to improve the lives of these animals. See the Facebook page for more information. Centro Andalusi de Rescate de Caballos.
