ISSUE 637 • 18th - 24th May 2018
EST 2005
Give a dog a home EXCLUSIVE Jose Artur AN Almeria animal charity has launched a desperate plea for help. The Amethyst Dog Rescue in San Juan de l o s Te r r e r o s h a s s i n c e last year been working to help animals from the municipal pound in Baza, Granada. The town hosts an annual horse breeders’ championship, and having heard rumours that dogs were being euthanised to make
way for the event each y e a r, A u d r e y Vo l l a n s decided to act. Speaking exclusively to the Sol Times, she said: “We started with foster homes and since we’ve been involved not a single dog has been put down. “ We w o r k c l o s e l y with Spanish volunteers, but what we really need is more foster homes and donations, since we’re currently paying around €1,500 per month to keep some
POLICE raids in Almeria and Malaga have seen five Irish expatriates and 170 kilogrammes of cannabis bound for Ireland seized. The drugs were found hidden in a 20-tonne consignment of lettuces after a lorr y was pulled over on the A-45 motorway linking the Costa del Sol and inland
PAWS FOR THOUGHT: Iris, left, and Molly are two of 12 puppies saved with their mum at two weeks old and are still seeking their forever homes. near Malaga. Some of the gang members identified were traced to Spain where they were found to be preparing the shipment. It took officers five hours to unearth the well-concealed stash, while the lettuces have been donated to food banks in Cordoba City and Lucena.
Tip of the iceberg city of Cordoba. It comes in the wake of a month-long probe sparked when the Gardai (Irish police) contacted their Spanish counterparts to warn of a trafficking gang operating out of Alhaurin de la Torre
of the dogs in kennels. She added: “At the moment we’re stuck in a financial crisis.” A u d r e y, o r i g i n a l l y from Guildford in Surrey, has been working with rescue animals since moving to Spain 16 years ago, but the plight of the Baza dogs convinced her to set up what is now an official charity. “ We a l s o h e l p w i t h dogs elsewhere and even have a coordinator in the UK, Babs Williams, who with secretary Anne Parker and treasurer Gillian Hassaine does so much
good work,” said Audrey, who is president. “People can donate via our website on the donate page or set up regular payments, just €5 a m o n t h f r o m 2 5 0 people would help us to cover some of our residence costs. “And if any local businesses are able to take our collection tins we’d really appreciate it.” Full details are available on the website w w w. a m e t h y s t d o g r e s cue.org, which has links to social media, or email amdrspain@ gmail.com.