Lost Dog

[Nichola]

walking from Gontan to Villalba today I was accompanied the whole way with a young dog. Apparently he arrived in Gontan with pilgrims this morning who he had followed from God knows where. He's here in Gontan sleeping at the minute. I'm just after feeding him. If anyone a few towns before Gontan hear or see posters of a missing pooch this could be him. I would get a taxi to bring him back to where he belongs if necessary. I can mind him no problem only thing is I'll be moving on each day. He's a cutie!

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

You may have hit the jackpot with a new companion.

 

[Pruden]

Few days ago there was a kind of advertisement not to allow dog to follow you , ( they mean pilgrims), they follow you because they get some food from pilgrims,.
Time after they are out of their area and get lost , if this happens probably death is waiting for them , they would be cached by the authorities and kill then , there don't have room , nor money yo keep and give them food and a good live , very few get adopted!!

Please don't condemne this creature!!
Buen Camino!

 

[oursonpolaire]

On the Primitivo some years ago, I was walking with two pilgrims and a dog attached himself to us. When we realized what had happened-- as Pruden says, dogs out of their own territory face a difficult future-- and one of us, a German army officer, nobly took the dog back to his village (7 km), adding three hours to his walking that day. We added some good tinto to our praise for his selflessness. After all, we can rarely take the animal back to our home countries and I don't know what sort of arrangements the Spanish authorities have for sheltering strays.

 

[MinaKamina]

If you happen to have this chap with you, his family is looking for him:
https://www.facebook.com/174962112617598/photos/pcb.996897173757417/996897140424087/?type=3&theater
You might want to take some pictures and upload them to FB and every organization for protección animal in the region of Lugo.

 

[Tincatinker]

Please shoo the dog away. Please do not feed it - not even a morsel - a dog will follow anyone that feeds it. See @Pruden 's post above.

 

[Icacos]

Un perro followed my companion and me for quite some time between Roncesvalles and Zubiri (we didn't feed him). At one point he was distracted by a canine friend, and we did a hasty disappearing act.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

I wonder if this could be added to any handouts at Pilgrim offices such as SJPP? A list of helpful hints for pilgrims. Can't remember if we came across anything in our information.

 

[SYates]

In cases like this I strongl suggest to ask in the next village/town for the protectora (animal protector). These are volunteers that take care of such dogs and try to re-unite them with their owners, or, if not possible, try to find them a new home. Please, as said already, if a dogs start to follow you - chase it away immediately, otherwise you might cause, involuntarily, its death. Buen Camino, SY

 

[jsalt]

On the Rota Vicentina in January we stopped to have lunch in a little café in a small village. When we left the village 3 dogs tried to follow us. We tried everything we could think of to send them back, but they kept following us. After a few kms we crossed a river, ah ha!, but they also found a way across. We never fed them. But they still kept on following us, although at a distance now. THEN a jeep came along the track, from the village, with the 3 dogs in the back, which they had just picked up. It turned out that the dogs had joined some walkers that morning who were going in the other direction. So while we were yelling at the dogs to go home, they were trying to say, “but we ARE going home”! The owners had come out looking for them. Jill