News - 2008...Once Upon a Time!    

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January 2008

         
Piccolina

Hello dear people of the Gomerian Animal Protection Association,  

I first visited the beautiful Island in 1998.  My friend, at the time, and I travelled with back packs, slept outdoors, and so, experienced a lot.  (For example, we heard and saw the “Pardelos” singing and flying over our heads.  To hear was a great experience.)  

Unfortunately, we were also confronted with the not so nice side of the Island , that is, the way animals were handled.  As we were wandering through the mountains, we found a carton with an abandoned puppy inside.  We later learned that the puppy was approximately six months old.  She was full of fleas and worms, scared and hungry.  She was so scared that she wouldn’t follow us even after we had shared our sausage with her, so I took her in my arms even though the fleas were crawling all over me.   We were helped out by some nice tourists who took us with them even though we did not know where or what to do with the dog.  So we first looked for a place where we could overnight (I think in the vicinity of Alojero) and the dog stayed with us once she had food and water and slept.  She made some small side trips, but always came back.  She laid on the Isomat, was always trustful and loyal.  She finally slept on the mat with all four legs in the air with us sleeping nearby.  Anyway, we didn’t even dream that one could take the dog with us to Germany .  So we tried to shake her loose from us, but it was too late for both sides.  As we were shopping in a local store, the dog had to go “Pee” and, since the wind was right, and the dog could not smell us, we took the opportunity to leave without her.   When the dog came back, she sat outside the store door and waited for us.  When I looked back and saw this I was so sad, but thought that it was better to part.  The next morning, my friend and I wanted only one thing…we wanted the dog back, but we didn’t find her again.  So we went with heavy hearts over the High Plateau to Valle Gran Rey, rented an apartment, so that we could shower and clean up.  In the apartment lay a Valle Bote (tourist newspaper) in which was an article about the local Animal Protector, who lived in Valle Gran Rey and came from Hamburg .

We contacted him and he gave us many tips, led me, for three days, back to the village where we finally picked up Piccolina (as we now called her).  When we found her, her fur was a mess and she was being fed by a Spanish native.  The Islander asked us if we were going to take the dog to Germany or only to Valle Gran Rey.  We assured the Islander that we were going to take her to Germany .  It looked to me that our answer to the question was satisfactory.   Piccolina recognized us immediately and happily ran to us.  Then everything became hectic.  We had to see the Vet, which, at that time was not in Valle Gran Rey, such that he could help us prepare the dog for her flight.  We stayed the whole time at Playa de Ingles and when it was time we smuggled the dog in a back pack onto the bus for the trip across the Island.  When we arrived back on Tenerifa we were able to talk a taxi driver into taken the dog with us to the airport.  Somehow, it all worked out and I was always under the impression that if it was meant to be then it would happen.  This dog is the best dog I have ever met.

She is still alive, living with my father as, out of business reasons I have to travel and can’t take her with me.  My parents will never give her up either now that she has been with them for so long.  She settled right in, was ever happy, not at all aggressive, and gets along with everybody and everything, whether a cat or another dog.  She is somewhat quieter these days, but still the absolute sun shine to our family and our neighbours. Also, she is very smart and has her own character.  She is a wonderful animal.

This January, I was again on Gomera and was somewhat scared for the dogs there, but was positively surprised how well fed the animals there are and at how many of the dogs had collars (which means owners).  Out in the mountains, I saw a couple of poor animals on short chains or in swingers.  I find it nice, how much work you have done and hope that you can continue with animal protection.

Many dear greetings and have fun with the photos from cold Germany

Sends C.H.

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