Spain floods: Improvised vet station treats pets sick from tainted mud

By David Latona

Volunteer veterinarians in eastern Spain's flood-hit Paiporta are treating pets that have caught infections from the devastated town's mud-filled streets at an improvised first-aid station with donated medicines and equipment.

Paiporta is among the Valencia suburbs considered "ground zero" of last week's deadly flash floods that have killed at least 219 and left 93 people missing. Eight days on, its streets are still mired in mud and refuse - a hotbed for bacteria such as Leptospira to thrive in.

Some dog owners have started carrying their furry companions as they trudge through the muddy streets to prevent them from ingesting polluted water, an additional worry on top of the catastrophe's human toll.

"Animals that aren't adequately vaccinated are at high risk, which is why we stress that it's almost better to take them out for walks on rooftops rather than outside," said Marian Sancho, one of the vets manning the station inside a former store and marked with a handpainted sign.

The damaged premises cannot be locked, so the drugs and supplies are removed after dark. Animals are treated free of charge and those needing comprehensive care are referred to a university clinic in downtown Valencia following triage.

Vet Nuria Capdepons said the animals were given antibiotics and antiparasitics to mitigate the risk of zoonosis, an infectious disease of humans transmitted from animals.

Laura, 20, held her rescue Yorkshire Terrier named Daly as Sancho inserted an IV with saline to treat dehydration.

"I brought her here because she had not eaten well for several days, she was throwing up, she had diarrhoea, and we don't know what it is," she said.

Similar pop-up care centres are being set up in neighbouring ravaged areas, crewed by unpaid professionals and students from across Spain who rotate according to availability and needs.