Programme – an empty phrase just yet, but one we look for-ward to filling.

In the meantime, let us thank you for your support by wishing you the very best for the holi-day season. Enjoy!

J.A.W.S. has only been in exis-tence since June 2012. It is re-markable how much work has already been done:

Some ten dogs homed; firm and helpful contacts with local vets; we created and established a Christmas/Three Kings cam-paign (see below); had success-ful meeting with the Mayor of Jimena and Councillors; created a Facebook page as well as our own website (both are still under construction but pro-gressing nicely); purchased equipment for our cat castra-tion programme (to be started in the New Year); made excel-lent contacts with some of the area’s similar organizations with the same objectives as ours; intervened in several incidents involving horses... and we even got a committee together.

Of course, there’s a long way to go but we had to start some-where. Now we need to start

at the beginning. That is, with the young.

One of our stated objectives is to ‘provide education among the younger generations on how to care for and respect animals’. So we are now em-barking on putting together a presentation to our local school officials, who are the ones who will open their doors to what we grandly call our Education

This is our first campaign, aimed at eradicating thoughtless gifts of animals. We all know the problem: cute puppy, cute kitty, cute foal, cute hamster, cute present – but who takes care of it when the child gets bored with it? It is in Spanish because we live in Spain. The text reads. “I AM NOT A TOY! I AM A LIVING BEING! You have to have me vaccinated and chipped, and sometimes i get ill (I can cost money!) · I need to eat and drink (and exercise)

every day · As a puppy I eat: furniture, shoes, clothes and a lot more! · I sometimes bother the neighbours · I bark and cry · I pee and poo anywhere · BUT IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME, I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER · an animal is not just for Xmas/Reyes, it is for life! · A reminder from J.A.W.S.” We could do with your help to distribute these posters – send us your e-mail and we’ll send you a print-able version -details on last page. (‘Reyes’ is on January 6.)

The beginning of it all: July 13, 2012. Thanks to Henrietta!

The First Six Months

I am NOT a toy! I am a living being!

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

WHAT W E

A R E A ND

WHAT W E ’ R E

NO T :

We encourage own-

ers to take better

care of their animals.

We provide castra-

tion and spaying

services for cats and

dogs at affordable

prices.

We want to control

the population of

stray cats and dogs

by providing a castra-

tion and spaying

service.

We will provide

education to the

younger generations

on how to care for

and respect animals.

We provide informa-

tion on animal rights

laws in Spain.

We work with local

authorities to meet

their objectives re-

garding animals.

We work with area

organizations such as

ours.

WE ARE NOT

A REFUGE

CENTRE and

cannot care for

animals until

they are homed.

We can provide

temporary help

and resources and

occasional shelter

through our volun-

teers and other

similar organiza-

tions.

WE DO NOT RE-

CEIVE GRANTS WE

ARE FINANCED BY

DONATIONS AND

SPONSORSHIPS.

P A G E 2 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

Val Jubb and Aberto Bullrich had a meet-ing with Mayor Guillermo Ruiz Ruiz and Councillors María Rosa Mena Caballero (Environment) and Olivia Sánchez Carrasco (Vice-Mayor for Estación) in order to inform the Council of the formation and development of J.A.W.S. Among other things, Mayor Ruiz offered the Council's full support in our activities, for which he expressed his

and its thanks.

J.A.W.S. prepared a document for the meet-ing, which included the society's aims and objectives (plus the information that WE ARE NOT AN ANIMAL SHELTER), a fact sheet, a questionnaire, a poster from this year's Christmas/Reyes campaign ('I am NOT a toy'), and a reminder of some legal require-

ments regarding animals.

The Mayor acknowledged that although the Council has the legal obligation to provide pick-up and transportation for abandoned or lost animals in the municipality, as well as shelter, food and water for a minimum of ten days, the present financial situation makes this impossible. However, he also said that he had

recently held talks with a provincial dog-catching organization to come and pick up street dogs and cats, and admitted that there

was indeed a problem in the municipality.

Mayor Ruiz suggested the possibility of the Council ceding land and space to create a shelter, if J.A.W.S. is willing to run it. Our answer was that we would be unable to do so under our own present situation, that it would require a considerable invest-ment to build one to the legal stan-dards required, as well as to maintain it. It was agreed that if it were possi-ble at some future date, the matter would be looked into in more detail. In the meantime, we stressed that we would try as much as possible to work with other organizations such as Spanish Stray Dogs and ADANA,

among others

One of J.A.W.S.'s objectives is to offer local schools an education programme to encourage respect and care for animals. The Mayor and his councillors were advised that approaches had been made to the main village's primary and secondary schools without any success, even with defi-nite negativity. Councillor Mena said that she would take up the matter with other schools in the municipality, where such a welcome campaign could be carried out. This, she said, would probably poke other schools into doing something. (The Mayor interjected that it would be a good idea to begin working on

this now - his fiancée is a vet.)

It was agreed that there are certain cultural and even legal differences between Spain and Britain (from where most but certainly not all of J.A.W.S. supporters come). These differ-ences need to be respected and taken into account at all times, which also means there is a long road ahead in educational and attitude-changing terms. It was felt that the welfare of

animals is a universal necessity for the well-being of humanity, as one of

the councillors put it.

It's as well to say here that the Mayor himself comes from a family of local farmers and landowners. He acknowledges that attitudes regard-ing pets have changed, and are changing, very rapidly. He admits, too, that his own attitudes are dif-ferent from his own father's, and therefore welcomes J.A.W.S. and offers as much help and support as

possible.

It was also emphasized by all con-cerned that it was essential for J.A.W.S. to become an official asso-

ciation as soon as possible. We said that this

would be put in hand in January.

In conclusion, the meeting was deemed successful. The society was wel-comed warmly, encouraging us to continue the work we set out to do only six months

ago.

“Cultural

differences

need to be

respected and

taken into

account at all

times”

Mayor Guillermo Ruiz Ruiz

These are photos of some of Jimena’s well-taken-care-of pets, past and present, lost and found, homed and not. Naturally, they can’t all be shown. We know the name of only a few, so we haven’t named them any of them. IF YOU’D LIKE TO FEATURE YOUR PET HERE OR ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, PLEASE SEND US A PHOTO OF HIM OR HER OR EVEN THEM, INCLUDING HIS/HER NAME. See e-mail details on the last page. (Photos courtesy of CampoPulse)

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

The laws on pets (called ani-males de compañía) in Spain are

not that different from anywhere else. The differ-ence lies in their enforcement. For example, there is a law forbidding

hobbling horses, etc., yet all around us we see hobbled horses, mules and donkeys. Animal cruelty, though, is a crime, and the laws against it are enforced. But remember, the basis of Law here is akin to ‘guilty until proven innocent’, which is why a complaint has to be made officially before

action can be taken in the less extreme cases. In rural Spain, it will take a long time for the sensible laws to be enforced. In the meantime, we have to be aware of this fact. J.A.W.S. has been working on a transla-tion into English of the more salient and applicable laws – it is a laborious job of research and interpretation, but it is happening. If you would like a copy , please let us have your e-mail (see details on the back) and we’ll be happy to send it to you (you will, of course, be asked for a donation).

(We have linked those that can be linked online, but we’re constantly updating this infor-mation) La Viña de Liñán · Union Jack Removals · Cam-poPulse · Casa Henrietta· Clínica Veterinaria Cam-payo · Clínica Veteri-naria Castellar

We also work with other or-ganizations, so this list will expand in time. They need our help, too, with our time at their refuge centres, as well as with such practical items as food, blankets, baskets, pet toys, etc. etc.: • Spanish Stray Dogs • ADANA

We already have a list of spon-sors. These enterprises are not necessarily donating any-thing more than their time and knowledge, or their services, at a discount. But they are essential. PLEASE VISIT THEM, OR USE THEIR SERVICES, AND YOU WILL BE FUR-THERING OUR CAUSE.

Passport

for dogs,

cats - and

ferrets

“There are

many ways

you can get

involved.” as well as get- ting veterinary attention if needed. Our fund raising events always welcome helpers. If you think you will be able to help, please be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page or on CampoPulse. (On the last page, you will see all the de-tails.) We also need help with stalls and poster hanging, and a long etcetera. Attached to the e-mail through which you received this, is also a questionnaire that you may have already seen and filled in. If not, please do so. We don’t yet have the technology to fill it in online, so we have to ask you to scan it

There are many ways we can use your help. The first is to pick up and deliver an animal in crisis, or organize for this to be done. We can supply further informa-tion but can say that this is not (yet?) a daily occurrence; far from it, but essential when we get the call. In time we will have an emer-gency phone number, so your turn on that will be very welcome. The second important help is housing an animal for a few days, while a home is found for it. This rarely involves much more than giving it some TLC, as well as food, water, a bed, or a place of its own. We can help with these,

when filled, and send it to us by e-mail as an attachment. Sorry. (You can always print it and hand it to anyone you know who is part of J.A.W.S. – they’ll get it to us. Or leave it at Casa Henrietta, or Mingo, and we’ll pick it up.) Then there’s money. Which makes our world go round, too. We have an account at La Caixa (2100-4878-16-2100311281) for donations and we hope to be able to open a PayPal account in the near future. And there are plenty of tin cans around with our name on it- make sure you put your spare change in there!

‘I am SO cute!’

P A G E 4 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

It is not a legal requirement to obtain insurance for a dog or a cat, unless the former belongs to a ‘potentially dangerous

breeds’ (See list in Page 5). Horses, and cattle are obliged, but not dogs or cats. One of the reasons often put forward the excuse for not getting a pet chipped is the cost of insurance. This is not valid. Certainly prices vary, but only between €11 and €20 PER YEAR for basic coverage of anywhere between €50,000 and €150,000 (these figures are approximate). Home insurance will not al-ways cover a visitor or postm,an being bitten on the

premises, but you can buy cov-erage separately. It is also possible to buy cover-age exclusively for pets from most vets. We strongly sug-gest you do so from the vets who support J.A.W.S. for no other reason than that it is a way for you to support our cause as well. Pet health insurance might be useful too. Offered by special-ised companies (e.g. Segurvet), it can cover virtually any ill-ness, operation, medication needed. It is not cheap, but neither is veterinary care.

donated. We also promised to mention them elsewhere, so here goes: Farmacia H. Regueira (Jimena)· Farmacia V. Regueira (Estación)· La Casita· Vivero Los Planteles (Castellar)· Gimnasio Frontera· Pinturas Villena· La Viña de Liñán· Pastelería Troyano· Restaurante Mesilla Los Ángeles (‘Troyano’)· Gasolinera Los Ángeles· Piensos Canelo· Librería/Papelería Gara-batos· Bar Restaurante El Ventor-rillero· Sheila Humphreys (Avon Rep)· Hostal/Restaurante El Anón· Distribuidora Repsol. Anything left over from this event is being stored for the next time.

The last fund raising event of 2012 was our stall at La Estrella’s annual Christmas Fair on Sunday, De-cember 16. Our tombola table was a wild success, not least be-cause of the wonderful donations we had from our supporters. Aside from fabulous donations from private individuals (most of whom wanted to remain anony-mous, but you all know who you are and we’re really, really grate-ful!) several local businesses were generous beyond even our own optimistic expectations. We are careful to take care of all our supporters, so we put their business card next to the item

“Accidents

happen, but

if your pet

causes one,

it could be

very

expensive”

We have held a few fund raising events over our first six months. And there are collection tins all over the place (for YOUR spare change!). The only two Christmas Market stalls we have had this year have been a very welcome learning process, though

somewhat disappointing in finan-cial terms. Fortunately we man-aged to cover costs, but little else. One of the problems was a lack of volunteers coming forward of their own accord, which is a shame. However, now we know better and will be asking our members, followers and friends to spare an hour or so for the next time. As with so many similar organiza-tions, It is not fair that everything lands on only very few shoulders. “Fund

raisers this

year have

been a very

good

learning

experience”

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2 P A G E 5

This is Victor Domínguez Caballero, one of several vets who have offered to help us in our endeavours. Victor lives in Jimena but has his surgery in Castellar. He has a good smattering of English and is always willing to learn more. And he really cares about animals. His surgery is at Avda. Las Adelfas, 4, Castellar His phone number for ap-pointments is 956 693 379 and for emergencies 630 186 127. Please mention that you saw this arti-cle in the JAWS newsletter. There isn’t enough room here to list each of all the vets who have come aboard, but we will have more info in

In Spain there is legislation in common throughout the country dealing with what are called 'potentially dangerous breeds'. There are eight breeds on that list, but several regional au-thorities have added their own; the chart below shows which and where. Included are cross breeds among them. The national law states that third party insurance must be taken out with coverage of a minimum of €120,000.

Phones:

(Val) 956 640 936 /

680 136 643

(Alberto) 685 052 684

E-mail:

info.jaws.jimena@gmail.com Sometimes we need to use shock tactics!

Like everything in these parts, we need to plan ahead, mainly because of the weather - but funds are needed all year round, so we can’t just think of summer ... Go on, send us an e-mail with your craziest idea! info.jaws.jimena@gmail.com

Now that we’ve started, we daren’t stop! We’re already planning a Spring Fair – or an Easter Market. Other ideas are coming thick and fast: an auction, a photo opportu-nity, a dog show (how about a horse show, aside from Jimena’s annual May Fair?), a fashion parade for summer outfits, a chil-dren’s ‘sponsor an animal’ contest ... so what’s your idea? We always need good ideas. Markets and fairs are wonderful, so are collection tins in bars, but if we want to be a bit dif-ferent to raise funds, we have to be creative.

Not in Jimena!

Design, text and photos, courtesy of CampoPulse