dogs & other creatures

A new public albergue is to open soon in Piñor. An unusual feature is that it will have a stable block to accommodate five horses. A lot of work has been done recently to make the Sanabres accessible for those wishing to make a pilgrimage by horse...

Was walking a local park trail and there were many cats...many cats that i needed to pet. If there are Cats on the Camino then it may take a while to complete... One cannot simply pass by a cat and not pssp pssp and pet it. Carry on!

Hi there, I started my camino in Santarém last week and was planning on walking the central route. I did not take into account though, that on this part you walk all by yourself and that the watch dogs can get quite aggressive when you pass by. This started to get a bit too much for me...

As our family is approaching another camino, I'd like to ask if anyone is aware of the name of the black dog that hangs out in the monastery in Oseira along the camino Sanabres. My brother surmised that it may be a Spanish mastiff as it is quite large. This dog did us a great service by guiding...

Friends along the way.

This halfcrazed dog was attacking my good side in Manjarin, aggressively using his puppy dog eyes to try to get me to give him a piece of my hard won, home made, Lemon and Yoghurt cake that I purchased from the lovely lady in the Manjarin café, along with a hand squeezed orange juice. I was...

Just a heads up for those about to walk their first Camino. There are lots and lots of flies. Definitely not in all places, but in many. And not noticeable while walking, just when you stop somewhere. Not a big deal of course, more of a minor nuisance. Perhaps I’m just spoiled, living in a...

On my recent Camino Portuguese a pilgrim I met had some nasty bites, mostly on her legs. I suggested they were bed bugs but the hospitalero (in a private albergue in Pontevedra) said they were spider bites. They did not have the little blisters nor did they itch. However they were in the the...

Hi pilgrims. I'm in Ponferrada, starting tomorrow. I heard some pilgrims bad encountered unleashed dogs on the way. Just wondering if anyone here bad similar experience and if it's gonna be a problem. Thanks.

I understand that if you ride the Camino on horseback you can get the Compostela if you complete the last 100km, just like walking. I recently learned that a stable offers one day rides from Sarria to Portomarin, which I would like to do. Does anyone know whether I would still qualify for the...

I know... I know.... Everyone says do the pick-up-a-stone trick or wave your poles at them.... ...or yell "NO" in Spanish (umm??...) But I want the bestest high-tech dog repellent that there is. Flexible on weight. Much appreciation.

A local tv station in Galicia has a report on the continuing problem of dogs following pilgrims on the Caminos and becoming separated from their owners. A major problem for some local authorities like Fisterra. The report notes that an animal rescue centre which works for the local authorities...

I just stumbled upon this article in a local newspaper. In between Villanueva de Campeán and El Perdigón a Spanish pilgrim was bitten by a dog and had to be treated in the hospital of Zamora. According to the article the owner of the dog was tracked down and all papers were up to date. No...

Hey, today I walked from Poio to Vilaxoan. I tried to use Komoot for orientation, but it sometimes leads me to paths that are not active anymore. So today I walked on gravel in the mountains, but mostly in the woods. And then I saw poop infront of me. I checked it , and I was quite sure it...

I nearly stepped on this little guy on my way into Ponte de Lima, Portugal. Can someone identify it? It was only about 12 inches/30 cm long. (P.s. I checked Ivar’s new suggested title and it used “small animal” instead of critter and added the town name. I kept my original title as it was shorter)

In discussing the Camino with my daughter, what is most attractive to her are the possibilities of animal encounters. You know the type I mean: cowherds and shepherds guiding their hers/flocks along the road (or just the road cows one encounters along the way. Or the horses, cows and sheep one...

I know some people walk a Camino for a deceased friend or loved one, family. So in this context walking for an animal might sound wrong or disrespectful. And it never came to my mind to do so until when yesterday I suddenly lost a beloved furry friend, not a youngster, but still she was the...

Last year at least three pilgrims had a vicious dog encounter after Puerto de Pajares - all three with one of those giant Spanish mastiffs guarding livestock. Mine was in May just after I passed through Pajares and made the left off of the small section of highway onto the tractor track. Another...

Hello! I have written a short story about our camino experience. Part of a longer memoir, maybe, we'll see. For now, I have submitted this story as part of a writing contest on Reedsy, you can find it here. Please if you come across this post before Friday 10th Feb, do click like! In fact...

I've noticed a lot of cats in the background in various YouTube videos about the CF. Question - are these cats strays? Or pets? Or a mix of both? Do pets tend to wear collars in Spain? Another question - what's the etiquette around giving them food? Frowned upon? I don't want to potentially...