Lucy’s travel log

Dear Scooby friends,

I am giving you my story as I promised when I announced my 10th Scooby trip.

I certainly met my goal of turning my 10th trip into something special. Not only financially (more about that later on) but as a whole.  Once again I was able to hug and cuddle so many great, sweet dogs (after scooping their poop, of course) and again I had the privilege to meet new volunteers, who turned out to be just as driven and eager as I am. 

Unfortunately the weather gods weren't dealing out their favors to me. From Tuesday the 14^th of April until Saturday the 18^th of April it was very cold with lots of rain, wind and even some hail. Only on the first day (Monday, 13 April) and the day I left (Sunday, 19 April) did the sun come out and it was nice and warm.

All that rain didn't make the poop scooping any easier, but you've got to do what you've got to do and I did my job with lots of pleasure.  I have a deep respect and admiration for the regular staff at Scooby who perform this work all year long.  This is a big part of their daily tasks here at Scooby that can't be underestimated, even when it's cold and wet out there. 

Every time before I leave for Medina del Campo I wonder: what will it be like this time? Will I be yearning for my next trip again after this one?  Come to think of it this is really silly of me, since I know already in advance that I will return home with a good feeling and full of new energy, and I'll keep going back

I could tell you, in all smelly detail what the poop scooping was like this time around, but I'm afraid I would bore you to death within seconds.  Instead I would like to add something else. What saddened me again this time was the large amount of German shepherds and various hunting dogs and hounds that are currently at Scooby.  In other words: the non-galgos and non-podencos.

These dogs also deserve our attention and their own golden basket. I personally experienced the unconditional devotion towards humans these dogs possess, and how socially well behaved they are towards other dogs and people. They too live in groups without any problems. Therefore, my plea to everyone who reads this is to think of these dogs as well. Those of you who wouldn't necessarily want to take in a Spanish breed will find there are many beautiful other dogs at Scooby as well, for every human there's the perfect canine companion out there.

Same goes for small companion dogs, for them Scooby is the place to be. So many cute, sweet little dogs, all waiting for their own spot on your sofa.

Scooby can only take in new dogs when there is enough room available; which means only when dogs get adopted. By adopting one dog you really help two dogs at the same time: the one who gets its golden basket at your home and the one who can take its place at Scooby. So please take another look at the Adoption Pages and tell other people you know about these dogs as well.

Well, and there are the cats. As in every country, we have a huge problem concerning stray cats. Many people don't see a point in having their domestic tiger spayed or neutered. Kittens are dumped into the fields, into the woods or in front of the gates of the local animal shelter. This is a very sad situation and as usual the animals suffer the most.

I am aware of the fact that some of you might think I'm a bit loony, but I am willing to take that risk and throw in a plea right here, right now for the Scooby cats. There is a huge variety of cats at Scooby, all of them very sweet and affectionate, but also very social among the other cats. This is mainly due to the fact that all cats live together in the beautiful warm cattery like one big family. But a spot next to the heater at our house is the one thing they really deserve.

At Scooby you find the ginger cats that are so popular here in the low countries, as well as Siamese, Tortoise and British Shorthair cats. But just as well you find the common black, black and white or grey tabby cats. Those of you who are interested in adopting a Scooby cat feel free to contact one of the organizations that work with Scooby (see Links for details) or contact Scooby directly.

Now getting back to my anniversary trip I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who sponsored me. Thanks to you I can say that this 10th time really was special, since I was able to hand over the nice sum of € 32O (approximately $425) to Scooby!

I also would like to thank the Scooby staff for their warm reception. It always feels a bit like coming home.

Lucy Elenbaas