Photo by Austin Kirk
I’m going to try and write words, and not just share pictures of pup pups…try.
I’m not saying that I love dogs more than people, but I’m not not saying that.
I adopted my first dog when I was 11 years old. I begged—no pleaded— with my mom to let me have a pet. She told me for years that I was allergic to dogs, so I called her bluff and made her take me to get tested. While I tested negative at 11, I have since found out that I am in fact allergic to doggos.
Ask me if that has stopped me?
Not. A. Chance.
My first dog was T. and I loved him so much, but he was a bit older, and honestly couldn’t be bothered playing fetch. He did however enjoy the table scraps my mom would sneak him on the low-low, and he was potty trained within the first couple of months!
Obviously Taco needed a sibling. Enter A. This good girl exceeded my expectations! She was bright, and curious and playful and the coolest part: I saved up my money to adopt her myself! #adulting
Both T. and A. lived long, happy, albeit lazy, lives. They never wanted for treats, pats, or nose boops. I’m so grateful I had dogs as a kid because, honestly they do teach you a lot about responsibility, or in my case, that I was still not really keen on responsibility. They also taught me tons about empathy.
Since I was familiar with the amount of care, attention, and yes, money, that goes into having a pet, I was hesitant to take the leap and adopt a pet while living abroad.
I mean, every expat asks themselves these questions:
How long will I be here?
Can I find a flat which allows animals?
What happens when I travel?
I have roommates, will they mind a dog?
What happens if I go home in the summer for any extended period of time?
Photo by Gayatri Malhotra
“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs”
How to know if you’re ready to adopt a dog as an expat:
You don’t, really. JK, JK.
My honest feeling is that adopting a dog depends much more on what kind of dog you adopt and what that entails.
For example, don’t adopt a 90kg husky if you live in a 35m studio in the city center because they require tons of exercise and space.
I wouldn’t adopt a toy dog who easily startles if I know my walls are thin, and the yapping could cause problems with my neighbors.
When you adopt a dog, you truly never know what emotional, or even physical baggage, your furry friend will bring with it. There are pups which require monthly, or daily medicine, there are others which have a strong aversion to men (or women, or children), you’ve got picky eaters, and those who don’t like their nails being touched, you’ve got biters and chewers, and any other combo you can think of!
Are you prepared to deal with the uncertainty, and still treat your doggo with lots of love? (Hopefully your answer is yes.)
When I first moved to Madrid, I was on a flight every weekend, so obviously adopting a dog at that time would not be a smart choice.
Adopting a dog as a single person is more attractive, but adopting a dog with your partner is more practical.
I got really, like really lucky when I adopted M. He’s honestly and truly the goodest boy, and the only reason I didn’t lose my (entire) mind during this year-long lockdown.
No, seriously.
He loves, I mean LOVES, to play. He’s affectionate and cuddly, but also independent. He’s got this excitement for life (and duck treats) that I honestly try to embody. He’s a great running partner, and his hair— lush.
He makes people smile, not just us. And even the grumpiest, oldest of pup ups can’t resist a sidewalk hang with M.
I adopted my good boy via Nueva Vida and had a very positive experience!
Here are a few more options.
Where to adopt a dog in Madrid:
Nueva-Vida Adopciones
How: There’s a website and Facebook community. You send an email regarding the pup or kitty you’re interested in, and they get back to you with an application to fill out.
They don’t have a physical location. Instead, they rely on a network of dedicated volunteers who foster dogs. M. came from the South of Spain, so they have a weekly drop-off situation when you can pick up your doggo. If your dog is already in Madrid, you may be able to arrange a visit before you adopt!
Was I freaking out that I couldn’t meet my doggy before that day? Absolutely. Did it all work out in the end? Absolutely.
If your dog is old enough, the neutering is included in the price, otherwise they can recommend a vet and you’ll have to come out of pocket. Neutering your pet is mandatory for you to change their microchip (which is also included) to your name.
Pros:
- It was straightforward! The application is long, but thorough (as it should be!)
- You can tell the volunteers really care. 2 years later, and I’m still in contact with my adoption agent. I send her unsolicited photos and gifs all the time!
- They recommended a vet which does house calls, and I still use her to this day for vaccines and check-ups.
- We have M. and our lives are changed for the better.
Cons:
- I didn’t get to meet M before as he was coming from the South, so I had to just close my eyes, and take a leap of faith.
- Since I adopted M at 3 months, we had to pay around €300 to get him neutered when he was old enough (plus the vaccines that come later, plus to change the microchip to our name)
- The drop-off is super sketchy, yo! I met M for the first time in a Decathlon parking lot near-ish Aluche…. and the vet administered the microchip on the spot. It was all a whirlwind, to be honest: sign this, here’s his documents, pay this, here’s a puppy. But again, they don’t have a physical location, so I get it. (sorta…)
Tips:
- Be quick! Especially if your pup is posted on Facebook. If you know which doggo you want, act fast and insist they change their status to reserved so you don’t miss your chance.
- Budget wisely! If you adopt a puppy, you’ll need to pay out of pocket for the later vaccines, heartworm medicine, puppy pads, dog food (before you switch to a new one, you’ll have to buy the one they’re accustomed to), collar, lead, training, toys, groomers and of course getting them neutered! Whew!
- Trust your gut! On the website, they’ll tell you the approx. size and weight of your pup. You know your lifestyle, and what your future plans include. I knew I wanted a smaller dog, under 10kg to be able to travel on trains in Spain, and so as not to bother my neighbors. When I saw M, formerly Chicho, I knew he was it! I asked for photos and videos of him since we couldn’t meet, I asked for his birthday and about his habits in his foster home, and I reserved him immediately!
“If you can’t adopt, foster. If you can’t foster, donate money. If you can’t donate money, donate your time.”
