Your experience of culture shock in Spain

Moving from the UK to Spain there is no culture shock. There is a new culture, lots of things are different but they are not really of any startling significance.

Spain is not a country where you may be arrested, or even executed, for having sex (which has happened in Saudi Arabia), it's not a place where it's unsafe after dark (like Venezuela or so many other parts of the world), your chances of being a victim of crime are slim, you won't have to change how you dress, it's not a place where your diet will change significantly (as in China or India), it's not a place where the traffic rules, or the supermarkets, or the schools, or the bureaucracy are significantly different. It's not a place where you have to haggle over purchases, or bribe people to get things done. Basically it's just another European country with different biscuits and better or worse Internet speed.

The differences though are splendid stuff. Things that make "your new life" interesting. Trying to get a handle on the culture will take years - the names of Spanish singers, politicians, footballers, and the like will not come easily at first. The small differences are everywhere, every day, probably for years to come. But it's not a culture shock, it's just a culture change.

Quite a cheerful and positive view there, I'm not so certain everyone would share that positivity but I suppose it helps and of course many of those things will be dependent on where you live.

I think if one moves with the attitude that Spain is just another European country with the same infrastructure and standards as they are used to then they probably would be in for a rude awakening.
The bureaucracy not being significantly different is a staggering statement, the level of bureaucracy and administrative waste defies belief here and as a result Spain has a huge  black economy  and corruption is rampant. Tax evasion also, I lost count of the amount of times someone selling their house asked for cash under the table or the amount of illegal homes just to save on their tax bill. Also there is no need to haggle because you are often quoted two prices, one with VAT and one without.

Bribery to get things done? Maybe I should try that, getting things done isn't high on many peoples priority list. It's like pulling teeth at the best of times. Of course there are some excellent workers/companies around, you will know them because they are the ones who will actually respond to emails, presumably because they actually would like to get paid from time to time.

I could go on and on about all the little subtleties, the list of differences and frustrations grows daily and to be fair it sounds a lot worse than it is but at times I am thoroughly astounded by the way things work here.

Me Too!!  I agree it is a new culture, but a very different one.  We have just recently moved to Spain from the U.K . and I find everything to be soo slow, even the post.  We receive our post once a week if we are lucky.  Forget about packages somehow they disappear.  I am astounded with the banking system, even though it is your cash in the bank they put a daily limit on it what you can withdraw.  A bit difficult if you are trying to renew 3 bathrooms!  Painter, what painter?  He came and looked said he would send us a quote......no quote arrived.  It would be far better for them to paint before our things arrive,,,,,they are arriving tomorrow.  We aren't out in the country in the back of beyond.  The sea is beautiful and the views are fantastic, but I would just like to get things done!

If you know a good painter let me know, otherwise I am going to do it myself, which will be time consuming because I am a consultant and work as well. 

I am ready to move back and I have only been here for a month!  The services are crap.

Disgusted in Spain!

Great place with friendly people. Police are quite corrupt though....

My most horrific experience,  culture shock was when I moved just outside Seville, I quickly realized that I had ended up in an area where they use Galgos, Galgos are hunting dogs, they are used to hunt hares, and they are also used to race, so there is also gambling involved with these dogs, each hunter has around 5 to 25 dogs, none sterilized, so you can imagine what happens to the surplus, I spent 3 years living a nightmare, not to mention the abandoned animals on the streets cats/dogs, my local town hall told me that they collect around 150 per day to euthanized. Sadly this is a little known, well kept secret, which needs to be shared and outed so that laws can be changed, all villages have this all over Spain, Catalonia not quiet so much. These dogs are hung/ abandoned and tortured in there thousands, 3 years ago Andalusia passed a law allowing these dogs to be tied behind moving cars. Please google Galgos and you will see what I say is 100% correct .

My experience of 1 year as a home owner. Ready?
Sadly, I work abroad, so 2 weeks after completing my house purchase, I was shipped off to the middle east, but not before seeing a recommended abogado, to act on my behalf during my absence. This included liasing with utility companies and banks, etc.
I received an email from the abogado after 6 months, informing me that Santander had stopped my direct debits and now the bills were not being paid. Fruitless attempts at contacting the bank (even my internet banking would not work) led me to transfer cash from the uk to the abogado. Despite 8 (yes, eight) queries to my lawyer to ask why this had happened, i am still awaiting an answer. Any answer.
So, I instructed them to open a new account at a different bank, complete with all my standing orders. It took 7 months (yes, SEVEN) for them to do this! And even now the DD's are still not set up!
I have contacted 5 companies to get a quote for a new kitchen. Three didn't even respond, one quoted mental money  and so, finally I have a decent quote from a.....British firm! Surprise, surprise.
I could go on about the car rental company, the water company, the shop where I bought a new washing machine, but I won't.
Suffice to say, Spanish service is dire. Almost non-existent. If they ever hope to pull themselves out of the economic mess they are in, they will need to shape up, pronto!! The thing is, I can't see that happening. Even in Thailand (where I spend a lot of time), things seem so much more.......functional.
I had three years living in Tenerife and things were a lot more efficient there.

Having said all that.............I am still looking forward to living in my house one day!

I am living the same experience and I must say that It has been the biggest cultural shock for me. In Spain animals are mistreated in horrific ways. For an animal lover like me,   life in Spain has become quite difficult, so much that I have decided to return to Canada. I am not saying Canada is perfect but at least there are laws that protect them.
Spain is a truly beautiful country with stunning places. However, I feel like its mentality  is stuck in time. In several aspects there is not evolution or progress; technologically, efficiency, capacity, etc. 

It all depends on what our priorities are.

Hello there,

Thank you everyone for your contribution to the topic.

Just to inform you that some off-topic posts have been removed.

You are most welcomed to share about your experience and feelings after leaving your familiar, home culture to Spain.

Best of luck,
Bhavna

Is it normal for Spanish people to defecate outside your house?

Yesterday morning we found a large pile of human excrement just outside our drive entrance. Complete with tissue paper etc.

This was certainly a shock. I'd be interested to know if its part of the culture in Andalucia?

Thanks.

my  advise is  dont  stay  for  21 years  coz  when  you  get  to  40  no  jobs then you  have  cut  your  ties  to England  if  no  familie i  wish  I only  came  for holidays  everyday  is  the  same  ok  if you like that  but  when  you have no  work  its hell not  paridise  trust me i have  lived  the  same  place  same  faces  same  gosip for 16 years in  one  place  5  in another   which  was  better but had  to  move  and  try  to  learn  the  language ....... If I had life  over  again  I  would just  come  for holidays  not  live  here

yeah  all black  money under the  table  and  thats if you  get  paid or you do it  for  love  plus  when you are 40  thats it no job   I have  had  no  work  for  6  years  speak 2  languages  lived here  21 years and  never thought i  would  say  that I want  to go  back  to England  and  get  work  aand  work  coz  without  money here  your  fuc.....

popadoodle wrote:

Is it normal for Spanish people to defecate outside your house?

No, of course not, that's not normal in any culture. That was a gross person who had no shame taking a dump on your doorstep. Urination is more common, especially drunk people who are having trouble getting home, but I bet it's the same in other countries too.

fabigarcia2013 wrote:

I am living the same experience and I must say that It has been the biggest cultural shock for me. In Spain animals are mistreated in horrific ways. For an animal lover like me,   life in Spain has become quite difficult, so much that I have decided to return to Canada. I am not saying Canada is perfect but at least there are laws that protect them.
Spain is a truly beautiful country with stunning places. However, I feel like its mentality  is stuck in time. In several aspects there is not evolution or progress; technologically, efficiency, capacity, etc. 

It all depends on what our priorities are.

Could you expand on "mistreatment"? I'm not challenging you but I haven't seen or heard of anything here "out of the ordinary" in terms of  cruelty to animals....
Perhaps it's the lack of laws, regulations, etc... here that allow people to "do" whatever it is that they do.
In addition I haven't met anyone who condones the "mistreatment" of animals.
So I'm not sure if this is a "cultural issue" or just something that one has strong opinions about.
Thanks!

blacktsalagi wrote:

fabigarcia2013 wrote:

I am living the same experience and I must say that It has been the biggest cultural shock for me. In Spain animals are mistreated in horrific ways. For an animal lover like me,   life in Spain has become quite difficult, so much that I have decided to return to Canada. I am not saying Canada is perfect but at least there are laws that protect them.
Spain is a truly beautiful country with stunning places. However, I feel like its mentality  is stuck in time. In several aspects there is not evolution or progress; technologically, efficiency, capacity, etc. 

It all depends on what our priorities are.

Could you expand on "mistreatment"? I'm not challenging you but I haven't seen or heard of anything here "out of the ordinary" in terms of  cruelty to animals....
Perhaps it's the lack of laws, regulations, etc... here that allow people to "do" whatever it is that they do.
In addition I haven't met anyone who condones the "mistreatment" of animals.
So I'm not sure if this is a "cultural issue" or just something that one has strong opinions about.
Thanks!

Yes, It's been the biggest cultural shock for me and I will tell you why it is cultural and not just a strong opinion.
I came to Spain in 2012, just during the first two months I found at least 7 stray dogs in very poor condition rooming on  the streets, I took some of them to the vet and they were diagnosed with several diseases and wounds. I decided to keep the sickest dog with me and look for homes for the other ones. I contacted numerous animal welfare organizations and since then I was introduced to a very harsh reality. I joined a dog training club and every weekend we got together to go to dog walking trails.  During those trips we encountered  many groups of hunters  with packs of 10 or more dogs completely emaciated, it was unbelievable, a horrible sight. The kind of dogs you see on the news in Canada or USA abused by their owners, people punished with jail time and penalties.  I talked to some people who are familiar with the situation I was told this is normal. I was surprised no body was reporting these cases. I called the police, the animal shelters, etc and the only answer I got was that the shelters were overcrowded and that they couldn't do anything about.  When the dogs are not useful for hunting anymore they are just killed by hanging.
Visiting the rural zones I found plenty of chalets with tied dogs 24/7, they just get some food and water. Poisoning animals is also a very frequent activity.
I can keep going on and on.Where I live we are surrounded by infinite cat colonies. I see almost everyday one or two cats hit by cars.
One the veterinarians I talked to told me that neutering and spaying are seeing as an act of cruelty in Spain , this is a big problem. I talked to a couple of seniors with 17 dogs and when I mentioned that they should fix them, they told me what kind of life they would have without being able to procreate!.

Bullfighting , killing of ducks in the Fiesta Mayor de Roses in Girona, bullfighting on fire, becerradas de Algemessi en Valencia, dog fights, etc, are traditions and a form of cultural activities but are also part of animal cruelty.
The subject of this topic is "Your experience of culture shock in Spain"  and I am just sharing my personal experience and view.  There is animal cruelty everywhere but probably the acceptance, indifference and enjoyment of it in Spain is my biggest shock.

Thanks for clarifying and enlightening me!
I suppose the hardest part would be the lack of legislation to protect animal rights or "rights" and the amount of complacency in the people about these behavior.

the  shock is  you  are  to old  to  work  at  36 plus imagine  me  I stopped  when 40 have no  work  for 6 years  the  sun  is  great  for a while  but help they  give you you have  to live  one  year  yes one  year  no  off  426e  that is  suposted  to  give  you a roof  food  bills  the  things  like washing  powder  soap  hair  stuff  body  gel   tooth  pate  forget  yet in  England  you  get  a chance to  work at  50 this  is  great  for  the  rich  abnd  retiered  but would  not  adviser  anyone  to cut  ties  come  to  work here  and live  like  i  did  for  years  then  find out  the  cultural  shock no  work  could  be  living in the  streets how  much you have  to survive  off  each month  and  thats  one year  yes  one  year  no  sad  thing  is  i want  to  work  dont  look  my  age  my  weight has  gone  down  to 49kilo from 65 and  when you ask  for  Englands  help  your  worse than  scum

explaining to the spanish about animal cruelty ,is likes telling the vietnemiese and the chinese  they shouldnt eat dogs .since 1988 when we came theres been a vast improvement on spanish taking dogs as pets ,walking them and loving them maybe you dont see it ,i look for it ,since living here we have adopted by taking in stray dogs eighteen in all ,who in my mind have had a good life ,but through age and some illness passed on and were down to three now .if we were to select a country. not involved in some animal cruelty ie big game hunting ,done entirely for pride and money,deer fox badger ect the list is endless when the godly say we could go to hell.wake stupids .were already living in it,

Greg2k wrote:

popadoodle wrote:

Is it normal for Spanish people to defecate outside your house?

No, of course not, that's not normal in any culture. That was a gross person who had no shame taking a dump on your doorstep. Urination is more common, especially drunk people who are having trouble getting home, but I bet it's the same in other countries too.

Yes, you're absolutely correct.  Bad behavior like this occurs throughout the world -- unfortunately -- and castigating 1 country through of the vocal revulsion of a few is quite unfair.

A few years ago my husband and I were considering the purchase of a condominium in Jacksonville, Florida, USA.  We bless our stars to this day that we changed our minds -- we found out later that there were many "residents" who defecated in the elevators, urinated throughout the complex, and did not hesitate to vomit anywhere the urge took them.

Hearing about these particular types of bad behavior is practically universal.  There are bad, rude, selfish and insensitive *people* throughout the world.

Mistreatment is cruelty, perhaps you live in a large tourist resort or perhaps a large city or town where you most evidently would not see cruelty, but believe me cruely is abundant in Spain, and it has a lot to do with the laws, you only have to google it to get the evidence

all  the  expats  end up  goinng  back  to UK   if you have no  money in  bank or  are  retiered  as  there  are no  jobs  here  for  40 and up i  am 51  out of  work  for 6  years  they  give you help  but  very hard  to live off then  when  going  back  to UK  they  dont  open you  with   welcoming  arms  I  will have  to  fight  even  live on  streets  its  streets here  or  three  but  there work here no which  would  you   like?

As someone who is now basically more a Spaniard than anything else, despite being born and raised in the UK, I'm surprised to see the biggest cultural shock mentioned here is cruelty to animals.

Let me just be clear: we are not cruel to animals in Spain. We don't enjoy hurting dogs, bulls or ducks. Those of you who say so are being terribly shallow. If I were to call out the UK for fox hunting I'd get a similar response; it's not fair to call out a country as being cruel to animals because of a handful of traditions that have been going on for generations and are usually not about the animal at all, except maybe bullfighting where the animal is at the center of it all.

But we go after people who are indiscriminately cruel to animals here. There have been many many cases where citizens and police have gone after idiots taking pictures with animals that have been hurt.

i agree with you entirely but surely as spain declares  its a democracy ,and changed its ways to suit that ,after francos death ,,they could also change the old ways of deriving pleasure and entertainment by treating animals in a better way .dressing up in coloured tights  in an arena with a half dead bull.doesnt appear brave to me,no i wouldnt do it before you answer but if any of these matadors would go to texas and sit on the back of a bull for eight seconds as do their rodeo youngsters ,where the bull lives the rider gets hurt, maybe id respect  them,yes i do live in a town ,and dont see the cruelty.but then again is it neccassary at all.

Greg2k wrote:

As someone who is now basically more a Spaniard than anything else, despite being born and raised in the UK, I'm surprised to see the biggest cultural shock mentioned here is cruelty to animals.

Let me just be clear: we are not cruel to animals in Spain. We don't enjoy hurting dogs, bulls or ducks. Those of you who say so are being terribly shallow. If I were to call out the UK for fox hunting I'd get a similar response; it's not fair to call out a country as being cruel to animals because of a handful of traditions that have been going on for generations and are usually not about the animal at all, except maybe bullfighting where the animal is at the center of it all.

But we go after people who are indiscriminately cruel to animals here. There have been many many cases where citizens and police have gone after idiots taking pictures with animals that have been hurt.

I'm glad you spoke out on this.
"Cruelty" and "mistreatment" is everywhere, in every country, whether or not one sees it or hears about it.
I know for a fact in the U.S. the amount of euthanized animals is off the scale. NOT that other countries don't do it, or practice their own type of "species oppression", BUT, there are institutions dedicated specifically to animal euthanasia and processing the dead animal for further "use". So, more dead animals more product, thus more profit.  Therefore these institutions get government funding from the State and from the Federal Govt. Horses, dogs, cats, seals, dolphins, whales, etc... Everyone contributes to this, no matter how much it may disgust us or how careful we are about trying not to. Even some vegetarians / vegans....despite any possible denial they might have.
"Species Mutilation" / "Species Domination" is in the fabric of most of our societies.
"Factory farming" which is beyond cruel and the only way to purchase meat affordably.
The "animal feed" industry.
Then we have  (mostly underground) "blood sports" , such as dog fighting, cock fighting, etc...
"Canine / Feline" mills. (Ever wonder where those cute little puppies come from? Yes, most of them come from "puppy mills".

I don't think it's fair the brand a country's culture for being "cruel to animals" when every country is guilty of it, in some form or another. On an institutional and underground level.
Perhaps, it's more "casual" here in some aspects or just accepted....I don't know.
We should all be careful about pointing the finger, especially when it comes to animal cruelty.

I am an American living in Spain for over one year now. The bureaucracy is difficult to deal with. As a concrete example I had a $400 guitar I bought in America before I left and had it shipped by USPS to my Spain address. It got caught up in customs in a tangle of requirements and they shipped it back before I could straighten it out. (If you can't speak Spanish and don't have a friend who does you can forget getting anything done!) I had it shipped again and finally got it after paying a huge tax. It ended up costing me $500 to ship my $400 guitar.

My phone company Movistar has also been a PITA to deal with. I still haven't been able to get them to debit my bank or credit card account to pay my bill. I have to go to a bank or post office to pay my bill and if you don't do it within 5 days of getting the bill they cancel your account.

Customer service pretty much sucks all over. It is standard procedure to wait in line at the bank or post office for 30 minutes.

Ii always amazes me that Spain, neck deep in the plop, still appears to see "service" as a something to be avoided, rather than a cornerstone of efficiency and growth. Do they like being the butt of jokes the world over?? Come on you native Spanish people. Tell us why such a lovely country, with equally lovely people (mostly) are hell bent on staying crippled by poor attitudes to actually getting anything done. I am genuinely interested to know the answer to this one.

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hi leisure time i heartily agree with you but in respect i find american companies also likewise. i have been dealing with a country western store for over twenty years namely for jeans belts buckles and shirts .each time i make a purchase i telephone them and ask for a cheaper method of posting ,theirs is always expensive ,which they include in the custom decloration .example ,i bought a shirt  from them,$35, postage to spain $32.then when it arrived ,customs wanted %) euros,needless to say,it was returned and i just lost the postage,now i buy from the uk.

Hi   I  can  speak  Spanish  been  here 21  years,  but  there  is  no  work  for  a  woman  of  40  plus  I have  been  out  of  work  6  years  now i  am  51  and i  want  to  go  back  to  the UK  now  that  is  hard  lost  all  my  rights  have no home  lost  everything  in Tenerife and  all i  want   like  most people is  a house  and  to  eat   to  do  that you have  to  work  as  the  help  that  they  give  you  to  live  off here is 426e a  month  for  10  months  one year  yes  one  year  no  and  out  of  that  money  you have  to  pay  bills food  and  house  other stuff like hair  products  gel  are  luxury  even  toilet  paper  so i  want  to  go back  to  my  country  but like i  said  because i have  beeen here  21 years  no  home in UK  no  family  littlle  money  to  get  somewhere  to stay to  look  for  work  to start  fro 0  at  51  so  think  before you  go to  forigin  countries  that you lose all  the  help and  rights in yours coz  your  to  old  at  51  to work  here or if you geet  work its  not  enough  to cover  bills...... I  wish I had  known  way  back  then coz i  wouldnt have  come  to  live here  ubnless i was  retiered or had  a  lot of  money...........

hi recently,i had cause to go to court ,not me,but for me .as i was making enquiries ,i joked  about the huge pile of files on each persons desk.theres no way ,except a miracle,their ever going to get through them .even as we spoke, in came a female ,with another pile and placed them on top of the others ,i feel sorry for the poor bastard awaiting at the bottom of that lot.surely if theres unemployment get some more staff,or is there another reason.

I have been visiting Menorca for many years do I didn't expect any culture shocks and certainly there have been no negative ones.  However, there were some positive surprises, the first concerned my new bank account.  I opened a joint account with Colonya.  At first it that this was not possible without a NIE but somehow they found a way round it.  the next day I had to ring the branch with a query and was stunned when they immediately recognised my voice and remembered my name.  It the UK I used the same branch of Natwest for over 10 years and there was never a glimmer on recognition. 

A few months later I visited my new bank at 10.00 in the morning during the local fiestas.  I was immediately offered a glass of chilled pomada (gin and lemon) and a traditional shortbread biscuit.  Imagine going to my old Natwest in Wells, Somerset during their carnival and being offered a glass of cider and some cheddar cheese - not very likely.

I have been visiting Menorca for many years so I didn't expect any culture shocks when we moved here permanently  and certainly there have been no negative ones.  However, there were some positive surprises, the first concerned my new bank account.  I opened a joint account with Colonya.  At first it seemed that this was not possible without a NIE but somehow they found a way round it.  the next day I had to ring the branch with a query and was stunned when they immediately recognised my voice and remembered my name.  It the UK I used the same branch of Natwest for over 10 years and there was never a glimmer of recognition. 

A few months later I visited my new bank at 10.00 in the morning during the local fiestas.  I was immediately offered a glass of chilled pomada (gin and lemon) and a traditional shortbread biscuit.  Imagine going to my old Natwest in Wells, Somerset during their carnival and being offered a glass of cider and some cheddar cheese - not very likely.

hi miss rogers,if i had read janines tales of woe many years ago .i would probrably never arrived here,and missed the best years of living life..life nev er comes easy,as my 83 years will tell,.but for the past 27 years, living in spain has been wonderful for us , we came here with just enough money to buy a property,couldnt speak the language no permits to work in spain , but found employment in gibraltar ,as a cashier and cleaner in safeways,,where we worked till retirement,,work isnt a gift ,you have to go out and find it,you will find janine that england isnt the country you left years ago,thats where maybe your culture  shock will come in ,

Wow poor Janine,  you have had some pretty unhelpful answers, and I am wondering if rosbentley has actually lived in Spain,  or has just retired there, for my part,  I know 100%,  that when I was living there I was considered too old for a cleaning job aged 45, also many are not aware of this but certainly in Catalonia,  we were subject to racism,  so doubly difficult to get work, add to that that 90% of the Spanish population is now living in England, I am just wondering what kind of volunteering work you are recommending for Janine? How is she supposed to feed herself and keep a roof over her head?

Yes I have lived and worked in Spain and in several other countries. I got 2 jobs through volunteering. As an employer I wouldn't take on anyone who had been out of a work environment for so long. Yes I am now 'retired' in Spain and farming - self employed. I have never encountered any racism in Spain though I've been here on and off since I first came in 1966.

The cultural shock depends on your needs, your priorities, your lifestyle and your country of origin. It's kind of an upgrade or downgrade.
If you're coming to Spain from a first world country you have to downgrade in many aspects: efficiency, customer service, organization, etc. but in exchange you have less days of rain. Is it your priority sunny days? ok, here we go south Spain is a good place.
Are you looking for good and well paid job opportunities, is this your priority? well, don't come to Spain.
Moving to a new country is a very risky decision. You need to establish clearly your priorities and the sacrifices you are willing to do.

hi we came to spain,not for just the sun,you dont give up everything just to lay in the sun,meeting some ex pats over the past 30 years ,i was amazed at the results of people coming over, one couple sold their property ,bought a bar in torromolinos ,and in six months were on their way back ,having lost most of their capital, another pair ,again bought a bar ,but spent their money drinking in others .maybe im wrong,correct me,but ive told people if your intending to live here ,then live here, carry on same as you would at home,my son s just moved over ,settled down ,as a musician ,we just tied up together .and play together in a top hotel  nearby ,janine honestly ,i feel sorry for you, its no fun ,in fact its scary ,to be in your position at your age,you will get on better going back  as there is employment in the uk,and adrien people in ANDULUCIA are the most friendliest ive met,ive more friends here than ive ever had ,all spanish,the 90% the !) are uk.

Linedancer, I am very happy for you,  you seem to have found a life style in Spain that makes you happy, I see you live in Los Barrios , which is in the heart of Andalusia, I am betting that your command of the Spanish language is limited, which will also limit your communication with the locals, to become part of the Spanish community you have to be able to communicate on a deeper level than just niceties.
The people from Andalusia are the most friendly, yes, but I guess it depends on your priorities, if you are able to block out animal abuse, then I am sure you can be very happy in Spain, perhaps where you live, you are protected from seeing the horror,  but please do your homework, where I lived the local town hall told me that they were collecting daily 150 stray dogs, for the local pound, that is the Seville area, these dogs get put down after 10 days.
Just outside of each town or village, you have hunters 'Galgueros' these hunters have 5-25 Galgos each, none of which have been sterilized, all bred for one purpose,  hunting and winning races, the punishment for not winning is the 'piano death' look it up, when these dogs are no longer useful they are hung,  in the local olive grove, thrown down wells, abandoned and gotten rid of in any other way they choose.
You also have bullfighting, so if you are not concerned with animal cruelty then Spain is the place for you, for animal lovers, and animals,  it is hell on earth, I will avoid the place till the laws change.

I completely agree with you adrienneb. Spain is not a good place for animal lovers and vegetarians.

hi adrienneb.well weve seemed to hit common ground,to hear those dogs screaming like that would have been too much for me ,weve would have been out there and a few spanish heads would have been busted .fu== the police ,i may have worried afterwards,texasanother part of family home, horse lovers  BULLSHIT,watch the tv programmes on HOUSTON ANIMALS POLICE,,even i was shocked at the amount of cruelty that goes on ,basically we have two communities a city lot and a farming lot,there apart as chalk and cheese,you and i cant solve this .and we cannot blame the customs or the cruelties,phillipinones and chinese eat dogs ,lets ljust be thankful whave a differenf attitude,and dogs in our care are treated humanly.whereas with some humans id be different best wishes eddie