Animal shelter destroyed in Dana floods appeals for funds as volunteers rally to help

Last Chance Animal Rescue in Pizarra is appealing for public donations to help repair and rebuild after the shelter was destroyed in the 'Dana' floods, leaving cats and dogs without homes. Volunteers helped evacuate the animals and have been fundraising for the shelter in the aftermath of the floods.

The owner, Jacqui Ross, said, “It’s a total catastrophe. Fences broken, everything in storerooms ruined, furniture ruined. Cattery wiped out. Heavy rain and hailstones brought down parts of the shelter ceiling.”

Members of the local community have mobilised to help the shelter. When the warning alert was issued before the second round of floods, Jacqui put out an emergency call on social media groups set up for volunteers to coordinate rescue efforts, after local police told her they could not help evacuate the animals.

“Our community rallied within the hour,” Jacqui said, “People were turning up in cars and taking one dog, two dogs.”

She had to swim through the floodwater herself to rescue some of the animals.

One volunteer was a neighbour named Teresa Ramos. She said, “Since they didn’t have a way to transport the animals all together, we offered to help them with our own car. We had to line it well because the dogs were covered in mud, drooling from the stress.”

The floodwater left behind thick mud and debris that Jacqui and volunteers have been trying to remove since the disaster.

Workers from Pro Reno, a property renovation company in Marbella, sacrificed two working days to help with the clean-up. Mike Peeters, the owner, said, “We went with all of the Pro Reno Group, over 20 people, to help them take all the mud out. We also brought food and a washing machine.” He said that his love of dogs inspired him to lend a hand.

Other members of the community have been helping in the aftermath of the floods, including Ben Foster, an electrical engineer, who designed a makeshift flood alert system for the shelter using a car battery, so that they will be warned if the water level begins to rise again.

“We have been begging for donations to help us pay for the machinery needed to clean up,” said Jacqui. “We rely totally on public donations, we receive no government funding.

“To pay private boarding kennels holding our animals, money to repair and replace what is broken or ruined - it's going to cost a huge amount.”

Natasha Horner, who runs social media groups for women in the Malaga area to connect, visited Last Chance to see the damage for herself after seeing photos of the ruined shelter on Facebook.

“The dogs were all outside the pens, just shivering away. You could see where the water had come down the mountain and washed things away,” Natasha said.

“I just said, ok, what do you need? I’ve never done GoFundMe before, so I thought I’d give it a go.”

She formed a Facebook group called Flooded Friends, where she has been advertising the GoFundMe campaign, as well as asking volunteers to donate construction materials, blankets and other items for the animals.

“I was constantly making videos of the shelters, posting on my social media, sending out newsletters with updates, and money started coming in from around the world. Everybody really pulled together.”

The GoFundMe has so far raised over €7,000, which will be divided between Last Chance Animal Rescue, Álora Dog Rescue, and Refugio Felino Cat Rescue.

Clean-up efforts are ongoing at Last Chance. Some of the dogs have been able to return, but the cat shelter remains unusable.

Last Chance Animal Rescue is a registered charity. It was established in 2012 by Jacqui Ross and her daughter Alex.

Donations to Last Chance Animal Shelter can be made directly on the shelter’s website.