dogs

Renfe changes its rules for traveling with large dogs on the train

by

When I met my beloved Lola, an 18kg French Pointer, 13 years ago, I ended up buying a second-hand car because traveling with her by train or bus was simply an impossible mission. Many years have passed, Lola is no longer here, but the difficulty of getting around with a dog if you don’t have your own vehicle is still the order of the day. The options are scarce and expensive. And be careful, it is not because there are few dogs: there are 7,562,893 specimens in the state, according to the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 of Spain. Well then, Renfe has just changed its rules to make life easier for those of us who have dogs and they can now sit with you on the seat next to the train. What changes. From July 21, dogs weighing up to 40 kg will be able to travel with their owners throughout the state on all trains, that is, Renfe commercial services (AVE, Avlo, Alvia, Euromed and Intercity) and Public Service services (Avant and Media Distancia). Note: Pets were already allowed nearby without a weight limit and without a ticket. With this measure, Renfe will become the first operator that allows the transport of large dogs. Starting Tuesday, which is World Dog Day, your pet will be able to travel at your side. As explained in a Renfe statement“The dogs will occupy the interior space next to the window, next to their owners, who must lead them with a 1.5-meter non-extendable leash and with the muzzle on both at the station and at the time of boarding and disembarking.” A travel kit consisting of a seat cover and mat is delivered with the purchase. Why it is important. Because the expansion and generalization of the dog service to almost the entire network eliminates a historical mobility barrier for those of us who have medium and large dogs, until now limited to the car or specialized transport. On the other hand, for Renfe this service constitutes a new line of business (that 40 euro surcharge), reaching new potential users and also differentiating itself from the rest of the railway operators that compete in the liberalized Spanish market. Context. The usual regulations for transporting Renfe pets It allowed the transfer of pets (they can be dogs, cats, ferrets, etc.) of up to 10 kg in a carrier without occupying a space and up to 10 euros extra cost. This service is the expansion of the “Large Pet Project”, limited to railway corridors and some AVE lines on the Madrid-Barcelona, ​​Madrid-Málaga, Madrid-Alicante, Madrid-València, Madrid-Zaragoza, Madrid-Granada and Madrid-Seville lines to transport large dogs. According to Renfehas already transported more than 800 dogs on its AVE trains. According to data from the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 of Spain There are 15 million pets, of which approximately 50% of the total are dogs. Under what conditions. The ticket can be purchased on the website, the Renfe app or at in-person and virtual agencies and when purchasing it, we will have to add a dog accessory of up to 40 kilos and the system will automatically assign you two adjacent seats. A novelty is that you can access the train with your dog from any intermediate stop and not only from the origin of the journey. For people who do not like dogs, are allergic to them or simply do not want to share their space with animals, it is worth remembering that each train has a maximum of two dogs of up to 40 kg, located in the “pet friendly” car enabled for this purpose. Pet owners must bring and present official documentation in order and a cleaning kit with wipes, soaker, bags. In any case, 24 hours before the trip, Renfe will send an email with conditions and recommendations. Limitations. In addition to dogs that exceed 40 kg in weight, puppies less than one year old, potentially dangerous breeds or bitches in heat are excluded from the service. Even if your dog meets all the requirements, you cannot use the service on connecting trains, on trains with alternative scheduled transportation plans or synergized seats. In Xataka | The experts agree: “There are legal grounds that justify Renfe returning the money if you travel without air conditioning” In Xataka | Asturias has been fighting for years to have a decent train connection. And now he is also fighting to include his dogs Cover | Oscar Puente

the first public cemetery for dogs and cats

by

Spain is a country of pets. According to the first official census of pets, published a few weeks ago by the Government, 15.2 million live in our country, most of them dogs and cats. With these figures we better understand the pull of the ‘Pet Economy’ and that it becomes less and less rare to find services that until not so long ago They were almost unimaginable, like public cemeteries only for animals. The first opened in June 2024, in Malaga, and its last balance suggests that the service is increasingly in demand. Since 2024 it has already provided almost 750 services. June 24, 2024. That was the day that Málaga inaugurated its pet cemetery, a center managed by the City Council through the municipal company Parcemasa and which is located in the Málaga Cemetery Park (San Gabriel). In Spain there are other places designed for cremating, burying and saying goodbye to pets, but as they insisted in 2024 from Malaga yours has something special: it is the first of its kind of public and municipal nature. “This is a pioneering facility in Spain, since the rest of the similar facilities in other cities are private,” underlined in 2024 the City Council after remembering that the cemetery required an investment of almost 1.17 million of euros. The complex is made up of a 1,000 square meter building, a crematorium capable of holding animals weighing up to 200 kilos, gardens for depositing urns with ashes and another space for tombs. The figure: 748 services. In 2024, the cemetery made headlines for its pioneering nature. Today it is because of its volume of activity. On Sunday, coinciding with the second anniversary of the complex, the City Council launched a statement with the balance of its first 24 months of activity. And the data is surprising. Since 2024, the cemetery has provided 748 serviceswhich means a little more than one a day. In total Parcemasa has managed 673 cremations, the burial of 65 pets and the farewell of ten animals that were cremated and placed in urns. The majority of pets that passed through the center were dogs (504) and cats (213), although it has also worked with birds, rodents and a turtle. “Progressive increase”. Although the balance is curious, what is important is the trend. The City Council assures that it has perceived a “progressive increase” in the activity of the cemetery. In fact, only so far in 2026 has it registered 242 services provided either in the municipal facilities themselves or through the dozen and a half veterinary clinics in Malaga with which it collaborates. The services offered also include the collection and transfer of deceased animals, celebration of farewell events or even the support of a psychological team. Their rates range from 40 euros from a basic cremation to more than 900 that the most expensive service costs: burying a large pet (more than 30 kilos) for three decades in ‘The park of memory’. More than an anecdote. That the Malaga pet cemetery has managed more than 700 services in two years is hardly surprising. The first official census commissioned by the Government shows that in Spain there are more than 15.1 million animals of companionship, the vast majority being dogs (7.6 million) and cats (5.6 million). Andalusia, the most populated community in Spain, also leads the way in the number of pets, with around 3.3 million A concept: pet-economy. We Spaniards not only have more and more pets. We also generally spend more money on their care. And that is generating considerable demand for services related to pet-economy. A recent report by EAE Business School estimates that in our country pets generate a business of 5.77 billion euros per year and drive a sector that is growing at 8.3%, generating tens of thousands of jobs. With this data on the table, it is better understood that there are insurance companies and even venture capital funds that they start to get interested for animal care or that there are other cities in Spain interested in follow suit of Malaga and provide its own public cemeteries for dogs and cats. Images | Malaga City Council In Xataka |

The Animal Welfare Law is clear about whether dogs can enter bars. And also about the fine for breaking the rule

by

To humans (we know since recently) we like to surround ourselves with pets since long before we we started cultivating the land or the invention of writing. However, they have never played such a relevant role in our homes. The first official statistics On the subject, he estimates that in Spain they live 15 million of pets, more than the entire population of the country under 30 years of age. Only the dogs add up to 7.5. With such a deployment it is normal that more and more people count on them when planning travel or go to a bar. The big question is… Can they pass? Are pets allowed? If you go to Google and type “pets”, “restaurants” and “access” you will find a good handful of publications that talk about whether or not pets can access bars, restaurants, hotels and (in general) private businesses. It stands to reason. First, because in Spain there are more and more pets and every time they are more incorporated in our daily lives. Second, because with the thermometer fooling around with the 30th In much of the country and with clear skies, people increasingly want to make plans outside, stay in a hotel on the beach or go for a drink at a bar. And what is the answer? Depends. As is usually the case when we talk about pets, the ‘bible’ we must turn to in search of answers is the Law 7/2023 on March 28. Said like this, it may not sound familiar to you, but its most popular name surely does: the Animal Welfare Law (LBA), which began to be applied a long time ago. three years. In this specific case we are interested in your article 29which regulates “access with pets to means of transportation, establishments and public spaces.” There the regulatory framework is established and a very simple idea is put forward: as a general rule, pets can enter bars, restaurants and other businesses where food is served, unless otherwise stated. Now, in each case what both the host and the owner of the animal do will greatly influence, so this guideline does not always have to be followed. What does it say about the hoteliers? That they have the right to decide whether or not pets enter their businesses, although if they decide to do the latter and close the doors to them, they must make it very clear from the beginning. And in writing. Basically, Law 07/2023 states that if the owner of a restaurant chooses to ban pets, he must record his decision, warning it on the door in a perfectly visible way. The objective: to avoid surprises for clients or that, once they are seated with their dog, they are asked to leave the premises. What exactly does the law say? The indication that interests us is in the second point of the article 29. And says: “Public and private establishments, hotel accommodations, restaurants, bars and in general any others in which drinks and food are consumed, may facilitate the entry of pets that do not constitute a risk to people, other animals and things, to areas not intended for the preparation, storage or handling of food, without prejudice to the provisions of public health regulations, or municipal ordinances or specific regulations.” “If the entry and stay of the animal is not admitted, they must show a badge indicating this, visible from the outside of the establishment”. Does only the hotelier influence? No. From the LBA comes off that the dog owner also has rights and obligations and that even the latter must comply with certain rules. For example, the previous paragraph emphasizes that the doors of the premises will be open to pets “that do not constitute a risk to people, other animals and things.” And later, in point 5, the same article of the LBA emphasizes that the owners also have responsibilities: “People responsible for pets who can access the transport and establishments and places indicated in the previous sections must take the animal in accordance with the hygienic-sanitary conditions and respecting the security measures determined by the establishment or means of transport itself, as well as specific sectoral legislation.”. What happens in other places? The LBA not only regulates access to restaurants, bars and accommodation. the same article (29) also clarifies that, in general, public and private transport services must “facilitate” the entry of pets as long as they do not represent a threat. However, the ‘photo’ is not the same in all services. Taxi drivers or platforms such as Uber or Cabify can decide “at their discretion” whether or not to accept pets, while the law states that railway, shipping and airline operators must “adopt the necessary measures to guarantee the transportation of animals (…) as long as they are carried out under the access conditions established by each operator, respecting the hygienic-sanitary and safety conditions required by law.” Does it say anything else? Yes. The LBA make it clear also that shelters, refuges, care centers and other places dedicated to caring for people in a vulnerable situation must “make it easier” for their users to access their pets, if they have them. If for whatever reason that is not possible, the same centers must “promote agreements with animal protection entities or shelter projects” so that the pet is not left unattended. It is a fundamental measure to prevent people (homeless people, sick people or victims of abuse, for example) from avoiding going to shelters or residences just so as not to leave their pets helpless. And public buildings? The law points out also that, “unless expressly prohibited,” which must be clearly signposted on the outside of buildings, “pets will be allowed access to public buildings and facilities.” Everything stated in the previous points, of course, does not apply in the case of assistance dogs (for example, those used by the blind) and those that are part of the Armed Forces or State Security Corps. In those cases … Read more

There are more and more guard dogs in Spain. They cost up to 15,000 euros and the law treats them the same as a poodle.

by

Spain has a new symbol of domestic security: the old guard dog, which once lived sadly tied up permanently or surrounding a property, has now returned as a vitamin-rich walking dog. Breeds such as the Cane Corso, the Malinois or the Doberman have found a new home in middle-class family homes and social networks, where footballers, other elite athletes and also influencers exhibiting them has accelerated that trend. Large, strong, robust dogs that do not appear in the list of Potentially Dangerous Breeds Spanish. All with another link in common: they have bought them for the same reason, fear of theft, harassment and insecurity in general. But perception is one thing and what the data says is another. what’s happening. According to data from the Royal Canine Society of Spain, of which El País echoesthe two breeds that have experienced the most growth in the records are the Cane Corso and the Doberman, something confirmed by two kennels of these breeds, the Catalan X-Man and the Madrid The Guardians. Depending on the level of training and pedigree, the prices of these breeds range from 2,000 to more than 15,000 euros. This phenomenon is not unique to the Spanish state: the United Kingdom is experiencing this boomwith the Cane Corso as the star breed. Thus, from 2015 to 2023 their number has quintupled, according to the British Kennel Club. In the United States, the American Pet Products Association documents sustained growth in the acquisition of working and protection breeds since the pandemic. Why is it important. The fact that these dogs are not on the PPP list means that anyone can acquire them without special procedures, which generates a certain ambiguity: they are stronger than average and are used as working dogs, but there is no need to have special training or pass psychotechnics. All dogs need RC insurance from la Animal Welfare Act of 2023but a 45-kilogram Cane Corso trained for guarding has exactly the same legal obligations as a poodle. The law treats them the same because, formally, they are. Obviously it is a good idea to get a trained Cane Corso and take a training course, but the law does not require it. The list of Potentially Dangerous Dogs is the classification of the different states of certain breeds of dogs that, due to their physical conditions, require special handling. For the American Veterinary Medical Associationthe risk of bites has more to do with handling and socialization than with breed. Simply put, it’s not the dog’s fault, it’s the owner’s fault. And a level above the individual, the system that does not filter who can have them. Context. The increase in demand for guard dogs cannot be understood without the feeling of citizen insecurity. The data tells another story: the Statistical Crime Yearbook of the Ministry of the Interior of Spain sample that conventional crime has been declining in the state for years. What is increasing is cybercrime, but a Malinois is of little use against that. The sociologist Luis García Tojar frames it with surgical precision: The purchase of guard dogs is part of the same phenomenon as anti-squatting alarms or the huge consumption of true crime on digital platforms. Media hyperexposure reinforces that availability biasthat is, we overestimate the frequency of what we see or hear most intensely, even though it does not reflect the reality of the statistics. The hatchery business. The guard dog market moves shocking figures. He X-Man owner gives the price range of their cane corso: from 6,500 euros to 15,500 euros. To that we must add maintenance costs, veterinary costs, that recommended insurance and continuous training, a notable investment that is not within everyone’s reach. However, the sector has grown thanks to this demand sponsored by fear and amplified by the visibility of social networks. Within the global pet products and services industry, which exceeded $260 billion in 2023 and growing, the specialized training segment is one of the most added value. Simply put: selling a guard dog is very lucrative. The risks of these guard dogs. A poorly trained guard dog or in the hands of an untrained owner is a real risk. There is solid studies on canine bites and aggression directed at strangers as a function of education and socialization. The problem with these dogs is the human context that surrounds them. Regarding insurance, the situation is more complex than it seems. The Animal Welfare Law 7/2023 requires all dog owners to have civil liability insurance regardless of breed. But the regulation that sets the minimum amounts is still pending approval and standard policies usually exclude dogs trained to bite. We insist, in practice a Cane Corso trained for the guard has the same legal obligations as a poodle: generic insurance, without a license, without accredited training, without any additional requirement that reflects its real capacity to cause harm. Yes, but. That said, it would be unfair to reduce the phenomenon to the consumption of fear. There is legitimate demand ranging from people who know the breed, have experience and assume responsibility to those who have real protection needs such as women who have reported harassment or assault and feel safer with a dog trained to alert. The problem is not the dog or the responsible owner. The thing is that the system does not distinguish between one and the other. There are trainers who filter buyers, reject sales if they detect that the buyer is not prepared and include mandatory training for the owner as part of the process, as Marga Dernoncourt of Los Guardianes explains. It is an ethical and necessary practice, but completely voluntary. In Germanythe European country with the most demanding regulations, states such as Bavaria classify the Cane Corso as a dangerous breed and require authorization, an animal temperament test and specific insurance, and the Doberman falls into a restricted category in several Länder with similar requirements. In Spain, none of these breeds trigger any additional requirements beyond general liability insurance. In … Read more

There are more and more people who accumulate and accumulate dogs and cats in their homes

by

It happened in Madrid, end of 2024. The authorities entered the apartment of a woman from the Chamartín district who lived with 74 cats in such unsanitary conditions that, after the rescue and despite the shelter’s efforts, several of the cats died shortly after. Although that number (74) is shocking, Madrid is just one of the many (many) cases of ‘Noah syndrome’ that the police register every year, both in Spain and in other countries. The issue makes headlines only when events as bloody as the one in Chamartín are uncovered, but the truth is that every time there are more studies which suggest that animal hoarding is a serious problem and (the key) growing. What is Noah syndrome? a disorder similar to Diogenes syndrome (sometimes both overlap) which consists of the compulsive and disproportionate accumulation of animals, which in turn results in risk situations both for the latter and for those who suffer from the disorder and their immediate environment, especially if they live in a community. In general, beyond this hoarding, it is considered that the syndrome is accompanied by two other interrelated traits. The first is that those who suffer from the syndrome end up being unable to keep their animals in good condition. It is not just about living with a disproportionate number of dogs and cats in more or less small spaces. People with ‘Noe syndrome’ are unable to attend to their most basic needs. The second characteristic is that they also do not see the problem. Although sometimes they themselves ask for help (It happened in Chamartín) usually deny their disorder, minimize it or are suspicious of those who try to help them. @rspca_official Last week, we shared a photo on social media from a recent rescue with @Dogs Trust involving over 250 poodle-cross dogs… The scale was so shocking that it led to countless allegations of the image being AI-generated💔 For the teams who worked tirelessly on this rescue and those currently providing 24/7 care for these dogs, seeing the authenticity of their hard work questioned has been deeply upsetting. We don’t need to use AI, as we have thousands of real stories about helping animals in desperate need, just like this. Sadly, this is very much real, as much as we wish it wasn’t. This is the heartbreaking reality that our frontline teams are facing more and more, having seen a massive rise in multi-animal reports involving 10, 50, or even 100+ animals at a single address. You can be a vital part of a rescue animal’s journey, please adopt ❤️‍🩹 #AnimalRescue #AI #Dogs #Rescue #Poodle ♬ Moment Of Reflection – Jhonatan Rodrigues & Piano Sky & Dee Piano Why is it a problem? For many reasons. To begin with, because often behind each case of Noah’s syndrome there is a drama. Those who hoard animals usually start doing so out of “good intentions,” such as recognizes PETA. Over time, however, its purpose is diverted and its disorder ends up leading to the opposite: “Criminal behavior with horrible consequences for animals, their families and communities.” Cats and dogs end up living cramped, surrounded by feces, and malnourished, a situation that worsens as the colony increases. And that is not difficult if their owner does not take care of castrating them. A clear example of this dynamic was recorded not long ago in England, where 250 poodles that were living cramped in the same house were rescued. When it reported the case, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) published a photo in which you can see a room full of dirty and shaggy dogs. The image is so shocking that the RSPCA began to receive criticism from people convinced that it had been generated with AI. Those responsible had to come out to deny it categorically: “The image, shocking, reflects reality.” How many people does the syndrome affect? In the statement which launched to vindicate the authenticity of the photo, the RSPCA not only insists on the drama of cases of Noah syndrome. It also leaves behind a worrying idea: its staff encounters “more and more frequently” cases of abuse in which multiple animals are involved at the same time: 10, 20 or up to a hundred. Why is it important? Because it gives us a clue about the incidence (and evolution) of the episodes that may fit into Noah’s syndrome. To be precise, since 2021 RSPCA has confirmed a 70% increase in “multi-animal incidents” in England and Wales. Not everyone can relate to the syndrome, but the data is still eloquent. “Instances where large numbers of animals are kept in one home may be linked to mental health issues, the cost of living crisis or breeders operating with inappropriate practices,” precise the organization, which warns: “Even people who initially had good intentions often see the situation get out of hand.” Is there more data? Yes. The RSPCA assures that last year alone responded to 4,200 alerts related to cases of abuse involving (at least) a dozen animals, always in the same address. And that’s just in England and Wales. The organization warns of the impact of the rising cost of living, poor breeding practices and the increase in abandonments. Beyond the public health problem that they represent, cases like this directly affect the dogs and cats involved. Even if they are rescued, they often suffer consequences that make it difficult for them to find a new home. For example, they suffer stress when they are left alone, they have a hard time adjusting, or they urinate and defecate where they shouldn’t. And beyond England? There are not many statistical or incidence studies on episodes of animal accumulation, but there are clues that indicate that the United Kingdom is not an exceptional case. In April 2025 Korea Times pointed out that the problem seems to be increasing in South Korea as well and not long ago NBC pointed in the same direction talking about the US. The … Read more

Mexico has so many dogs abandoned in its streets that are part of the landscape that has made them a “representative breed”

by

A few years ago, a story went viral in Mexico City. She had a stray dog ​​nicknamed “Hachiko of La Raza” as the protagonist, and became famous because he spent day and night at a subway exit waiting for an owner who, according to neighbors and users, had died shortly before. Thousands of people began to leave him food and water when they saw him always in the same place. Hachiko was actually a symptom now turned into a race. A national symbol. Mexico has reached such a peculiar point with its stray dogs that one of them has ended up being officially recognized as a representative “race” of the country. The call Candy dogwith its yellowish fur, sharp snout and medium size, has been part of the Mexican urban landscape for so long that millions of people instantly identify it as something everyday and almost cultural. We are talking about an animal that sleeps in front of stores, follows invisible routes through the colonies and survives thanks to small scattered gestures from neighbors who leave it food or water. The phenomenon reveals something deeply latin american: abandoned animals that have ceased to be perceived as exceptions and have become partly natural of urban life. The problem is that this normalization is also a sign of the enormous structural failure surrounding animal abandonment. A “race” born of abandonment. Behind the myth of Caramel there is no real race, but entire generations of miscegenation produced by decades of neglect. A genetic study conducted in Brazil discovered that these dogs contain traces of hundreds of different lineagesfrom German Shepherds to Pekingese. However, the environment has been molding the same extremely recognizable physical pattern: resistant size, short hair, agile body and that yellowish color that helps it better withstand the heat. and certain diseases. The street has acted as a kind of urban natural selection where the animals most adapted to living among asphalt, traffic and extreme temperatures survive best. The result is paradoxical: Mexico has ended up developing its own “type of dog” not through planned breeding, but through mass abandonment. Everyone knows them, but no one adopts. Caramelo generates collective tenderness, memes, movies and millions of interactions on social networks, but that does not mean that it will easily find a home. Rescuers and associations they explain that these dogs tend to become the most invisible in shelters precisely because they are too common. While breeds like the Golden Retriever or the German Shepherd receive hundreds of adoption applications, yellow mixed breed dogs can spend years waiting without anyone asking about them. The contradiction is brutal: they are probably the most recognizable dogs in the country and at the same time the most ignored when the time comes to assume real responsibilities. The collective affection towards them often functions as a kind of abstract affection that rarely translates into adoptions, sterilizations or permanent care. Mexico and a gigantic crisis of animal abandonment. The background to the phenomenon is much harsher than the cute images of dogs resting in the sun suggest. Mexico has one of the largest populations of stray animals in Latin America. Official figures estimate that about 70% of the country’s dogs live homeless and that millions of them were once abandoned pets. And every day more than a thousand animals they are left to their fate. This pressure has generated extreme and deeply controversial situations, such as the case of Tecámac, where authorities recognized the sacrifice of thousands of dogs street during the last years. The discussion reveals the enormous institutional vacuum around the problem: neither shelters, nor public campaigns, nor administrations seem capable of managing an animal population that is already a structural part of the Mexican urban landscape. From everyone and at the same time from no one. If you also want, the figure of Caramel summarizes an uncomfortable idea: many of these dogs survive thanks to an informal network of small community care, but without no one really assumes full responsibility on them. A neighbor gives them food, another takes them to the vet sometimes and someone else lets them sleep in front of his business. However, this chain of solidarity is extremely fragile. Without an official owner, many animals are left out of vaccinations, sterilizations or stable medical care. They live in a kind of limbo where they receive occasional affection, but are still completely exposed to abuses, illnesses or violence. That Mexico has ended up turning these dogs into a recognizable symbol says a lot about the emotional bond that exists with them, but also about the extent to which abandonment has been integrated into everyday normality. Image | Doggo19292 In Xataka | More than a thousand years ago the Mayans exploited a business almost as profitable as gems: the sale of pedigree dogs In Xataka | The easiest way to receive a fine for the Animal Welfare Law: leaving your pet on the terrace

Some bones found in Mexico have revealed a new facet of the Mayans: traders of “exotic” dogs

by

We knew that the Mayans wove important commercial networks and? they used to market with food or items as precious as jade, obsidian, cocoa either shells. What we did not know is that in their markets there was another good as or even more precious that led sellers to invest resources, time and effort in transporting it over hundreds of kilometers: dogs. Just as we are willing to pay large sums for certain pedigree species, the Mayans of the Classic period (200-900 AD) they traded dogs that they fed with care. At least that’s what it suggests. a new study. Some lost bones. Moxviquil and Tenam Puente They are two Mayan sites located in Chiapas where, some time ago, archaeologists found remains of bones. So far nothing surprising. The curious thing is that among the remains there were fragments that belonged to dogs and deer, a valuable material that has allowed Dr. Elizateb Paris, from the University of Calgary, to compare their chemical characteristics to find out where the animals came from. The conclusions has published them in Journal of Achaeological Science and they leave a few surprises. An isotopic map. What Paris basically did, with the help of the rest of the colleagues who signed he paperwas to analyze the remains of strontium preserved in bones and tooth enamel. The reason is very simple: for researchers it represents a key clue to understanding what humans (or animals, in this case) ate and drank when they were alive, which in turn reveals the places they passed through. Once this information was collected, Dr. Paris and her colleagues compared it with a isotopic map which shows the proportions of strontium in all of Mesoamerica. What did they discover? That while the deer bones showed strontium levels consistent with the area in which they were located, suggesting that they were probably wild animals hunted in the local forests; The skeletons of the dogs told a very different story. “We discovered that the dogs in our sample were not from the area, but came from Mayan kingdoms in very distant lowlands,” share the anthropologist. The second surprise. It wasn’t the only thing Paris found out. The bones located in Moxviquil and Tenam Puente held yet another surprise. By thoroughly analyzing the carbon and nitrogen isotopes of the bones, the researchers discovered that the dogs enjoyed a privileged diet. So much, in fact, that they largely ate the same foods as humans: corn and meat. The archaeologists admit that the dogs may have been searching through the remains of what their owners consumed, but they also believe that this protein-rich diet was the result of “deliberate feeding.” In summary: it is not only that the dogs identified in the Mayan sites had traveled long distances, their diet was also taken care of. The question is… Why so much effort? The answer: trade. For Paris and his colleagues, the explanation is clear. The remains of Moxviquil and Tenam Puente reveal that Classic Period Mayan societies “traded” live dogs. And they were even willing to move them hundreds of kilometers, such as those between the central regions of Chiapas and the north of the Yucatan Peninsula. This not only shows that pre-Columbian peoples had customs not so different from those we maintain in 2026. It also confirms that they created “solid” marketing networks in Mesoamerica. The great unknown. The study de Paris helps us better understand Mayan society (and trade), but it leaves up a fascinating question: Was there any race that was especially valued? To which did the bones located in Chiapas belong? From the University of Calgary they recognize that this is still a mystery that they have not been able to completely clear up. At least for now. Researchers are already working with DNA samples to clarify it, although they have a hypothesis. The anthropologist remembers that the Aztecs had several special races and among them was the Xolotizcuintli (xolo), a dog that can be found in various sizes, but is always characterized by the lack of hair and premolars. “This breed could be present in the Mayan site, since the selective breeding of these dogs causes mutations that give rise to a strange shape in the teeth, a characteristic that many dogs in Chiapas have,” reveals university before remembering that there are indications that dogs were “highly appreciated” creatures among the Mayans. And not only because of what we now know about the distances they traveled or their diet. They are preserved representations in which rulers appear in hammocks with small dogs. Images | Secretariat of Culture of Mexico City (Flickr) 1 and 2 and Alex Azabache (Unsplash) In Xataka | We had always thought that the Mayans disappeared due to an environmental “apocalypse.” Turns out we were wrong

We have been vaccinating our dogs and cats every year all our lives. Science is seeing that it is not the most correct

by

When you have a pet in your care, visits to the veterinarian are mandatory almost every year to receive a check-up and also a vaccination reminder to be completely calm about its health. However, there are some voices that already suggest that we are overvaccinating too much in our country, since applying vaccines year after year is not only unnecessarybut it can pose a risk to the animal. A new paradigm. To understand the problem, we must look at the guides of the World Association of Small Animal Veterinarians (WSAVA) and the Latin American Committee on Vaccinology in Companion Animals (COLAVAC-Iberia). Both institutions have updated their guidelines with a clear message wanting to abandon systematic vaccination schedules and opt for personalized medicine. Two groups. Now the guidelines are to differentiate vaccines into two large groups, the first of which is the “essentials” which are those of distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus in dogs, and panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus in cats. On the other hand, there would be non-essential ones, which would correspond to leptospirosis. Here, science suggests that essential vaccines generate much longer immunity than we thought, making animals have defenses against these pathogens for a long time. For example, after vaccination in puppies and their first booster, the animals maintain levels of protective antibodies for at least three years, and in many cases it can last up to 9 or 14 years. This means that if we vaccinate every year we are literally ‘pouring’ immunity where there is already a good amount of it. A legal labyrinth. If science seems to have it so clear… What is happening in Spain? Here, most of the autonomous communities only provide that the rabies vaccine is mandatory, making vaccination against parvovirus or distemper only recommended because they logically cause fatal diseases. If we focus on numbers, a recent study Regarding the national protocols, a devastating fact stood out: only 28.6% of the vaccines available for dogs and 42.9% for cats are “adequate” according to WSAVA standards. And the reason is that the industry markets combined vaccines; That is, to give the dog the annual leptospirosis vaccine, the veterinarian uses the viral one that includes parvovirus and distemper, forming overvaccination. A personal solution. To avoid needlessly pricking the animals, what is proposed is that, instead of blindly setting a reminder, a blood test is performed to determine the amount of protective antibodies in the blood. In this case, if the animal has adequate levels, it is not vaccinated that year, and if not, it should be vaccinated. The problem is that this is more expensive than directly giving the vaccine, so the most convenient, fastest and cheapest option is chosen. More personal. The conclusion here is that experts point out that a booster should be applied to essential vaccines every three years, preserving the rabies vaccine, which is the only one legally required and whose deadlines comply with local legislation. Images | freepic.diller on Magnific In Xataka | We have been using our pets to relieve our anxiety. And now the stress is on them

We thought that domestication shrank dogs’ brains forever. Now we know we were wrong

by

When the first wolves began to approach human settlementsthey signed an evolutionary contract that would change their species forever. They gained easy food, warmth and protection, but in exchange they had to give up their brains, which have been reduced in size since we began to domesticate them, as science has pointed out. But this is changing now. From more to less. that the animals domestic have smaller brains than their wild ancestors is something already well known, but the “when”, the “how” and above all the “why” of this phenomenon were between two questions. But now a new study published HAL Open Science has managed to put a key date on this transformation, revealing that the brain “shrinkage” of dogs was already fully established in the late Neolithic. How it has been seen. To understand what happened inside the head of man’s best friend, the team of researchers did not limit itself to measuring the skulls with a tape measure, but used CT to analyze 22 prehistoric skulls dating from the Mesolithic to the late Neolithic in Western Europe, comparing them with 185 modern dog skulls, and using as a reference a 3D model of a wolf skull from the 19th century. The results. Here they were quite forceful when they saw that the Neolithic dogs already had an amazing 46% reduction in volume endoraneal compared to wolves. According to the data, these prehistoric French dogs had what we could call “miniature brains”, as a consequence of undergoing an evolutionary adaptation to new roles in agricultural settlements. And, by not having to hunt in nature, defend vast territories or be on constant alert against predators, the parts of the brain dedicated to extreme survival, which consume a lot of energy, simply ceased to be necessary. There are more culprits. Although this story sounds perfect, biology is more complex and that is why domestication is not the only factor highlighted here. Here, at do phylogenetic analyzes Comparing dogs to other wild canids, scientists found that older dog breeds fall within the “normal” brain size ranges expected for their body size. In fact, they suggest that there are ecological factors that can cause brain reductions even greater than domestication. The best example here is the raccoon dog, whose brain experiences drastic reductions linked to its hibernation periods to ‘save energy’. The script twist. If the story ended in the Neolithic, we would have an animal with an increasingly smaller brain without any type of limit. But here a recent study suggests that the modern dogs bred in the last 150 years They have relatively larger brains than their ancestors. That is, the downward trend has reversed. To understand this, we must keep in mind that humans have stopped using dogs solely as basic guardians or shepherds, and have begun to require them to perform more complex cognitive tasks, such as obeying orders, assisting humans with disabilities, drug detection, and other functions in our society. And it already shows. This has not only changed the size, but also the internal architecture of the brain, as seen in the MRIs performed on 85 dogs of different breeds that revealed abysmal differences between “primitive” and modern breeds. For example, dogs that are trainable have a much larger cut, and it makes sense because this is the area responsible for learning and decision-making. On the contrary, the most primitive and ancient races retain an expanded amygdala, which is the region linked to the processing of fear, instinct, and rapid survival responses. Some qualities that are essential to be able to hunt and respond to any type of threat. Images | Pauline Loroy In Xataka | We have been using our pets to relieve our anxiety. And now the stress is on them

China and the US have focused on the race for humanoid robots. Now China is clear about which ones make money: dogs

by

It is difficult to talk about all the open fronts that China and the United States have. The technological war covers everything and, if there is a race for artificial intelligencethere is one just as fierce in the field of robotics. The two powers are focusing on the humanoid robots to put them in factories or in customer service, but the market is talking and it turns out that they prefer dogs. Robot dogs, specifically. In short. Right now, China is the summit of robotics. Not only because of how advanced their robots are, but because they are already putting them to work. work in factories, stores either museums. They are not theory, they are practice due to government support and, above all, because the components to make a robot are manufactured… in China. This advantage is something that no other country has and that is essential (let them tell the eTSMC’s 60 minutes strategy in Taiwan). There is multitude of robotics startups and, although the humanoids are the most striking, the robodogs are the ones that make money. In an article by SCMP They explain how quadruped robots are preferred by robotics companies because they are becoming business drivers. AgiBot is one of those companies, and has just expanded its robot portfolio with the creation of a subsidiary -AgiQuad- focused exclusively on quadruped models. Their justification is that they consider that it is what is going to boost the robotics business and they do not want their robodog to live “in the shadow of a humanoid robot.” That is, instead of launching under the same brand a humanoid robot and a quadruped one and that customers have to choose (and compare), they prefer to ensure that each branch of the business operates a different type of robot. Projection. AguQuad plans to become a 500 million yuan (about $73 million) business by this year, scaling to 10 billion yuan by 2030 with 300,000 annual robot shipments. At the moment, they say that they have everything sold and that they continue producing units because they are completely out of stock in the warehouse. And they are not the only ones. Other companies like Amap or the giant Alibaba They want to get into this robot fight to stand up to Unitreebut in the field of four-legged robots. Speaking of the dancing queen, it is estimated that Unitree’s quadruped robot division generated 490 million yuan in revenue in the first three months of 2025 alone. That is, in just three months, it generated as much as what AgiQuad expects to generate this year. Already Deep Robotics He is also doing well in this field. Deployment. According to IDC analyses, the quadruped robot market generated $180 million in 2024 and is expected to generate $700 million this year. The estimate is that the segment will reach 50,000 million yuan, about 7,329 million dollars. And the question is… where are these robots going? Many go to exhibitions and fairs in which the robotic muscle of Chinese startups is shown, but there are others that are already operating on the ground. China wants ‘civilian’ quadruped robots, like assistance for blind peoplebut there is also deploying units among firefighters and, as we said a few days ago, within the Chinese army with support, reconnaissance and attack units. The race doesn’t stop. This scenario makes sense if we take into account several details. The first is the most practical: quadruped robots have years of analysis behind them and have already proven to be very useful in various scenarios. the chinese army He’s not the only one who has them. and, for example, in the United States they are beginning to be deployed in data center surveillance tasks. And the second reason is because those years of research and development have led to them becoming increasingly cheaper to produce, allowing their manufacturing to scale and leaving more margins for manufacturers. Prices are also falling and it is easier for different actors to integrate them into their workforce. Precisely for this reason, quadruped robots can be a viable commercial product for those same companies that continue to push the development and commercialization of humanoid robots. The Unitree itself that we talked about before just started to sell its R1 model through AliExpress with a planned launch for the United States, Japan or the United Arab Emirates. Price? $8,200, but you start somewhere. In Xataka | China will bring together more than 300 humanoid robots in a half marathon. The goal goes beyond running

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.