Now and then you will find a press article stating that animal protection associations operating in Spain make a lot of money. Even representatives of Spanish associations expressed this opinion during a recent congress in the presence of our secretary Grace Boas.

As a consequence, we have invited a Spanish TV station that has made films about animal welfare issues in the past to investigate our work and look at our finances. So far, we have not heard from them.

The reality is quite different. Our volunteers put a lot of their own money into animal welfare. Certainly, none of them or the association itself has enjoyed any financial benefits!

Bills from local vets are our most important expense. They mainly result from sterilization programmes of feral cats that we run all year long. These programmes serve to get the feral cat population under control. They are sometimes financially supported by the city hall or the provincial government.

Another important cost factor is the medical treatment of mistreated, abandoned or injured animals.

It is not always possible to find foster parents for single dogs or mothers with puppies locally. In these cases, we have to rely on dog hotels.

The dog-kennel bill for a multiple dog family can quickly reach 1000 €.

A few times a week, PLUTO volunteers feed colonies of feral cats. We do this at feeding stations where the animals feel safe.

Often we are lucky and find permanent homes within our region. But in many cases, we have to transport our dogs and cats to new homes outside Spain - be it in Germany, France, Switzerland or the UK.

Rehoming animals abroad has its price. The airline Norwegian charges, for example, 70 € for each animal. Overland transport to Germany will cost between 50 € and 120 € dependent on the animal´s size.

Our Charity Boutique generates enough income to cover roughly 50 % of our expenditure. Other sources of income are our fundraising events, membership fees and donations.

When we rehome a cat or dog we merely ask the adopter for a contribution to our expenses. The contribution normally only covers transport, vaccinations and whatever else is required legally.