My daughter, who has a dog which she rescued from the Middle East, had travelled to the wedding with her fiancé in their camper van and arrived with one more dog than she started out with – which came as no surprise, given her history of rescuing animals.

Pedro was found abandoned and starving by the side of the road in Spain and of course, had to be rescued. A lovely Labrador cross, he adopted his new owners as his saviours and we had an extra wedding guest.

It was decided that Pedro would be taken to the animal rescue centre on the coast, because he would have to be quarantined for six months, and have all the necessary vaccinations, blood tests etc, before mydaughter could bring him to the UK.

I stayed on after the wedding for a holiday and my daughter asked me to visit the SOS centre to check on Pedro. I didn't really want to, because I knew that as an animal lover, I would find it difficult to see so many animals that had been abused and abandoned. However, I decided to go.

I saw that the centre was shockingly overcrowded, as I made my way past the rows of kennels to the reception area, where I met the dedicated volunteer staff who look after the animals. It was there that I first saw Freddy. A pitiful little soft white face with huge brown eyes looked up at me through bars of his housing pen, and, that was it, I was smitten.

I asked the volunteers about him and they told me he had just been brought in as the owners had abandoned him. I couldn't believe anyone could abandon such a lovely dog – but, sadly, I was told, it happens all the time.

Shockingly, the Brits are responsible for a large number of abandoned pets. I was told stories of dogs and cats that had been pets for years and then just dumped on the centre when their owners decided to return to the UK. It seems unbelievable that anyone could do this, but, especially since the credit crunch, it is happening with increasing regularity.

The SOS centre was founded in 1997 by Kim Halliwell and Tony Byford, both originally from the UK. It came into being when they jointly purchased some rustic land at the back of a small village, called La Cala de Mijas, on the Costa del Sol.

Originally designed to cater for about 50 dogs and 15 cats, it is now home to some 250 animals.

The centre's mission is to re-home the animals and they have been successful in finding homes for many of them in northern Europe, especially Sweden.

They take in animals which have been abandoned and often need urgent medical attention, they never destroy animals if they can save them.

As I was shown around the centre I was told many horror stories. The three most recent arrivals, lovely-looking dogs, had been found starving, foraging around rubbish bins. Skeletal and near death, the centre took them in and, with tender care and veterinary treatment the dogs are now on the roadto recovery.

I was shown a dog that had been tied up and left to die in the merciless Spanish summer sun, with no food and water; another had
its coat burned by sadistic thugs.

I was told of puppies found in rubbish bins and many more tragic tales of cruelty and neglect.

As I walked around the kennels, disturbed by these examples of man's cruelty, I noticed that these beautiful creatures were still begging for human attention, despite being so badly treated. They are so deserving of a better life.

The centre is facing even more problems now, as Mijas council has ordered them to take down some of their makeshift kennels and the small cottage which houses the volunteers.

They already have insufficient kennels and now they are faced with the huge cost of buying caravans to house the volunteers and of building temporary kennels.

They rely solely on donations and this will only add to their already desperate struggle to survive.

As for Freddy – well, we flew him back to the UK, complete with pet passport, and he has become a huge part of our lives.

He is developing into a real character, absolutely loves cuddles, is completely amazed by the Yorkshire countryside, and is intrigued by sheep (I don't suppose he saw many in Fuengirola!). Our lives have changed – but we love him to bits and I have found somewhere locally to leave him when I travel – so we will manage just perfectly.

Giving a rescue dog or cat a home is so worthwhile and will bring such rewards, but it is important to realise that they do require plenty of time, attention and most of all, love.

If you can do that then there is a dog just as special as my Freddy, waiting for you.

HOW TO HELP

To make donations to SOS, visit www.sos-animals.org, email info@
sos-animals.org.uk, or telephone 0793 902 5485.

If you are interested in offering a loving home to one of the dogs, SOS can help with transportation arrangements – they frequently drive dogs over to the UK or by air through Domino Shipping, www.
dominopetshipping.com.

For details of the pet passport scheme and information on travelling with your pet, please see Defra website www.defra.
gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets.

For kennels and quarantine in the UK, www.chingfordkennels.co.uk