LATEST UPDATE
The court has finally delivered its verdict.......three months after the court hearing and almost TWO YEARS after the initial denuncia was placed!!
Damaris Gonzales Canovas has been found GUILTY of neglecting the animals in her care and has been fined 180 euros! We are pleased at the guilty verdict but appalled at the derisory fine imposed upon her. We are also dismayed that no other restrictions have been placed upon her regarding the keeping and caring for her animals. Given that she has continued to place more animals in the compound than she is legally permitted to have, and that their day-to-day situation has not changed AT ALL, we wonder what the 3000 euros solicitor's fees actually achieved!
As this update goes online, she has at least 8 dogs down there and one horse. The situation for the horse is in marked contrast to that of the dogs. DG's boyfriend/husband (name still unknown) visits the compound almost every day, presumably to feed the horse - though his visits during the week are after dark, so little can be achieved down there with no lighting. We suspect he visits after dark so that he can do whatever it is he does down there, without being seen. However, in spite of being there, sometimes for more than an hour, he pays no attention to the needs of the dogs at all. There is no evidence that they are fed or watered regularly and they are NEVER exercised or allowed out of their pens at any time. The German Shepherd has been returned to the pens (having been removed during the court hearing, along with others) and is still suffering from the appalling skin condition that tormented him during the summer. Some of the other dogs seem to have contracted the disease too.
The water deposit is now filled on a more regular basis, but even so, all the animals were without water for more than 5 days this month, when the deposit ran dry. It is also suspected that the water he is putting in the deposit is not very clean, as the container is now a green, muddy colour, even when empty, which it is at the moment......again!
Thank you for your continued support and, to TS-R, the latest addition to the GuestBook, we take on board your comments. However, an early attempt to approach DG and discuss her intentions for the animals, resulted in the people enquiring being called into the Guardia Civil office on a Sunday morning and grilled about 'asking too many questions'. DG had taken out a denuncia against these people as she did not like their interest or their questions. This was the first sign that she was not going to be approachable or open to advice regarding the care of the dogs. Her hysterical, abusive and threatening behaviour since the denuncia was placed against her, suggest an ongoing reluctance for discourse.
It would be great if we could talk to her, face-to-face, but it would have to be a Spanish person (for obvious reasons she is not to keen on the English right now!), not even a translator would do. We believe such meetings are unlikely now. Even with the court decision, she is continuing to keep too many dogs in conditions that are deplorable. If a Court of Law cannot impress upon her that her methods are questionable, what hope anyone else?
We continue to need to raise funds to cover the solicitor's fees and are extremely grateful to those who have already donated. Thank you. However, we cannot afford to retain the solicitors to proceed with any further denuncias, so these will be submitted by individuals (hopefully with many names attached). We hope to bring to the attention of the authorities the fact that DG has no permissions for the buildings on the site and, as far as we know, has no licenses for the dogs and no record of any vaccinations/veterinary care.
It is difficult to maintain the kind of 'push' needed to bring this hateful situation to an end, but please bear with us and continue to lend us your support. Only a sustained and forceful campaign will produce the results we all want. Bit by bit, we think we are making a difference. We hope so.
Watch this space.
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