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Writing/Nora Fernández Fernández
In Spain, pets play an important role in our lives and, as far as dogs are concerned, it is important to emphasize that the number of dogs registered in the last three years has increased by up to 38%. These rising figures confirm that more and more homes are betting on an interspecies family model, making dogs one more member of Spanish families. All this is commemorated every July 21 on the occasion of World Dog Day.
For its part, the Chair Animals and Society of the URJC It has taken the IAA to hospitals, schools, prisons, residences for the elderly, and even vulnerable groups such as minors at risk of social exclusion and women victims of gender violence, to promote therapies with therapeutic and educational objectives.
“The bond with the dog generates positive emotions in humans, trust, security or love, due to the unconditional affection that these animals offer us. That is why people or groups that are even in a situation of vulnerability, be it social, physical or emotional, can overcome their difficulties by participating in this type of intervention or feel sufficiently motivated to do so. For this reason, it is an essential task to continue enhancing the therapeutic benefits that this interaction entails and to continue developing knowledge and protocols in relation to animal protection and welfare”, explains Nuria Máximo, director of the URJC Animals and Society Chair.
These interventions, for their part, have managed to have a great weight in today's society due to the attachment bond that dogs generate in people, promoting their integral well-being at an individual and social level and achieving a consistent improvement in their quality of life, both physically and emotionally. In this way, various investigations and scientific studies have confirmed that, through interaction with the dog, levels of stress, anxiety and depression are mitigated, while the feeling of loneliness and social isolation is alleviated.
This irreplaceable connection means that, even when the loss of this animal occurs, we face a grieving process full of emotional challenges. In up to 90% of cases, it can affect in a similar way to the death of a loved human being. For this reason, when facing this process, “there are many people who still find it difficult to express this pain, hiding their need to speak, cry and share their feelings with others. Luckily, this stigma is changing more and more and it is even becoming normal to seek support and psychological help in this situation of loss, due to the fundamental importance that the dog has within each family nucleus and the enormous void they leave in our lives after their departure”, Nuria Máximo details.
It is for this reason that more and more people claim that there is the right to request sick leave in situations such as the illness or death of an animal, a possibility not yet contemplated in the Workers' Statute of this country, also demanding other rights such as greater accessibility when traveling by public transport.
However, despite all the advantages that an affective bond with an animal brings, according to recent data, abandonment continues to affect 2,6% of dogs in Spain, although 52% of them end up being adopted. For this reason, this country has been one of the pioneers in creating an animal law that aims to protect and protect them from this type of situation.
“Institutional communication is key to the prevention of abandonment and violence generated against animals, although there is still a great deal of pedagogy on the importance of preventing and prosecuting animal abuse. A general registry throughout the country for all family animals is a good starting point to be able to improve the traceability of each individual and make abandonment more difficult and, in addition, this will improve the search process for lost animals when this occurs and there is a change of community”, emphasizes Máximo.