A dusty football field has been turned into a makeshift animal sanctuary for pets rescued after the devastating Valencia floods that left more than 200 dead.
Dozens of dogs, cats, ferrets and even horses, donkeys, turtles and an ostrich were handed over after being found by search teams in fields and razed houses.
An army of veterinarians, animal psychologists and volunteers (including one of Spain’s biggest soap opera stars) have banded together to help care for cold, sick, hungry and disoriented animals.
When MailOnline visited Sporting Benimaclet in central Valencia, animals were being scanned and those with microchips or tags were being pulled aside while attempts were made to locate their owners.
So far 30 dogs and cats have been rounded up, but several calls have gone unanswered, leading to fears the owners could be among the victims of the disaster that occurred after more than 41 square kilometers of land was flooded.
One of the many dogs rescued at the Sporting Benimaclet in the center of Valencia
A rescued cat being checked by a staff member at the makeshift sanctuary in Valencia
Volunteers with one of the rescued cats, who are now being cared for after their terrible experience.
A rescued dog at the makeshift camp, with lots of leashes and pet food.
One of the dogs rescued during the major operation in Valencia after the catastrophic floods
Among those who have fostered is British maths teacher Andy Lofthouse, 45, who took in an American pit bull called Zeus.
Market researcher Lucía Navarro, 35, who is among the volunteers, told MailOnline: ‘We have had so many animals come here since the tragedy.
‘We have had dogs, cats and even an ostrich and we do everything we can to rehome them with their owners.
‘The animals are found by civil protection teams and brought here, but we also receive animals from volunteers on site, who bring them here for us to care for.
‘The first thing we do is look for a chip or tag to call the owners, and we have had some success but, in some cases, there has been no response, so we have to put the animal aside.
“Some people who respond are crying and saying they can’t get their pet back because their house has been leveled and they just don’t know how to care for their animal, and they’re heartbroken.”
Volunteers are also sifting through dozens of social media posts trying to match the arrivals with appeals from owners searching for their missing pets.
If an owner is unable to pick up their pet, then the animal is offered for fostering and there have been more than 1,000 requests, more than three for every person brought in.
Lucía joked: ‘It’s like a Tinder for animals and owners.’
One of the rescued pets appears in the photo with the center’s volunteers
One of the animals is petted after its horrible experience during the floods.
Among those who have fostered is British maths teacher Andy Lofthouse, 45, who took in an American pit bull called Zeus.
Andy, originally from Leicester but who has lived in Valencia for 20 years, told MailOnline: “Our hearts go out to the people who have been affected by what happened.
“When you see the pictures it’s horrible, but it’s good to see everyone coming together to help.”
‘We’ve had dogs before and one died last year and another last month, so when we heard about the animal sanctuary we got in touch with them.
“When we went down there, we saw Zeus and he was on a leash being walked around the countryside and he looked quite sad.
‘But when we went, he was very happy to see us and he really is a big sweetheart. He has settled in with us and is now a much loved part of the family.
A rescued dog is cared for by two people in central Valencia after the city suffered catastrophic flooding
Market researcher Lucía Navarro, 35, who is among the volunteers, told MailOnline: “We have received so many animals here since the tragedy.”
Bird cages and other pet equipment are stored in tents on site.
Piles of donated pet food are seen at the center, which houses dozens of animals.
Volunteers have brought tons of pet food, as well as leashes, bowls and travel cages for the animals, and all donations are sorted into the tents set up.
Social researcher Carlos Pérez, 28, who is also a volunteer, said: ‘We opened the day after the floods and we are here from early in the morning until late at night.
‘Every few minutes people arrive with animals they have found in flooded towns and cities.
“Several dog kennels were washed away, and some are from those places, but other dogs are clearly people’s pets and it’s heartbreaking, but we try to give them love.
“Some are aggressive at first, but then the animal psychologist starts working with them, they take them for a walk and they calm down.”
He added: “Some of the dogs had been eating for days and were biting each other.”
Actress Sandra Cervera, 39, who appeared in Spain’s biggest soap opera, El secreto de Puente Viejo, and is from Valencia, told MailOnline: ‘I love animals and I just wanted to help.
The animal rescue center has been created to care for the large number of pets who need to be rehomed or cared for until they can be reunited with their owners.
The center’s team works tirelessly to reunite pets with their owners
‘When the animals come here, they get sad, but after a few hours they change and become very friendly and happy, and it’s beautiful to see.
“Animals take care of us, so it’s only fair that we help take care of them when they have problems.”
Veterinarian Fatima Azahar, who is also at the scene, said: “The animals that come here are really traumatized and we do everything we can to help them.”
‘We check them, we feed them, we give them water and we give them love; some have been in the water for several days, so they are cold and hungry.
“The goal is to put them in contact with their owners as soon as possible, but in cases where there is no response because it is possible, they have drowned, we keep them aside.
“By law, if a dog is found with a chip, its owners must recover it within 21 days, but the deadlines will be extended to three or four months.”
Also collaborating with the team is an international animal rescue team from Portugal that has recovered dozens of pets and, in one case, has also discovered a cannabis farm.
Images posted on their social media site showed dozens of cannabis plants hanging and drying with an electric fan.
