The agent of the Animal Protection and Environment Unit of the Local Police of Arrecife, Fran Godoy, who participated this Sunday as a runner in the Tinajo You Trail, stopped on the route as he passed through Caldera Blanca to rescue a dog, which was "malnourished", had "bloody" paws and was wearing a training collar that gave him "electric shocks". Thus, those who followed Fran Godoy in the race were surprised to see him suddenly appear with the animal in his arms, a pointer breed dog.
"When we were crowning what is Caldera Blanca with the race group, before reaching the top I saw a dog. From a distance I could see that he was very thin, that the bones of his hip were noticeable and that it was not normal", said Fran Godoy, who when he reached the top of the mountain, where the animal was, was able to verify that "he was malnourished". "And I noticed that he had bloody paws from running through the volcano," said this agent of the Local Police of Arrecife on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero.
Thus, Fran Godoy decided to stop on his route and stopped to see the animal, which was also "thirsty". "He had half a liter of water and drank it and the animal started running after me," explained the agent of the Local Police of Arrecife, who hoped to reach the refreshment point that was down Cañdera Blanca to hand over the dog there and continue the race.
However, as he was descending with the animal, "the dog stopped dead". "I went after him and tied the bag holder to his neck as a leash, but even so he stopped, he didn't want to move, and I put him on my shoulder," said Fran Godoy, who on the way realized that the animal was wearing a training collar through which he was "receiving electric shocks" and that, therefore, he did not want to go down. "I took off the collar and took the dog down, whose owner was down below".
The animal was returned to the owner although the Tinajo Police were informed
The "surprise" of this agent of the Animal Protection and Environment Unit of the Local Police of Arrecife was that "despite the fact that the animal was malnourished and with its paws full of blood", the owner began to argue "that he was fine", according to Fran Godoy, who at first refused to return the animal to its owner. "I told him that I wouldn't give him the dog until he showed me the animal's card", he pointed out.
As the man "got a little nervous", according to him, "a colleague from the Local Police of Tías, who was in civilian clothes", also intervened. "We identified ourselves as police officers, he showed us the animal's documentation and we told him that he couldn't be like that," said Fran Godoy, who said that the owner "justified it as it is hunting season and the dogs are running a lot".
Finally, the dog was returned to its owner, although the Local Police of Tinajo were informed of what happened. "All the data has been passed on to them and this week they were going to pay him a visit because it is not normal how he had the animal," explained Fran Godoy, who as he had already "lost a lot of time" in the race, decided to do it "calmly, laughing with some friends and enjoying it".
"I am left with the good work that I think I have done", said the agent of the Local Police of Arrecife, who also related that a similar story happened to him in Morocco some time ago. "We found a dog in the middle of the desert and we brought him. He is in the Peninsula," he concluded.