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The puppy that survived a migrant boat crossing to Spain is now fighting for its life in court
A last-minute legal intervention at the Balearic Islands High Court has saved the dog from euthanasia for now
A tiny mixed-breed poodle puppy, only around three months old, arrived on the shores of Ibiza on December 11, 2025, having made the crossing from Algeria by boat with a family of migrants. The family was eventually transferred to a Red Cross shelter in Mallorca, but the little dog's ordeal was only just beginning.
The Balearic Islands' General Directorate of Public Health ordered the puppy to be euthanised on December 16, on the grounds that it had come from a country with endemic rabies.
The Santa Eulària City Council, in whose care the animal had been placed, immediately pushed back, arguing that the order was insufficiently justified and that other options, such as quarantine or returning the dog to its country of origin, should be considered first.
The council pointed out that the puppy had shown no bite wounds or any symptoms consistent with rabies at the time it was found, and that given its young age and small size, the likelihood of it carrying the virus was extremely low.
That appeal was dismissed on March 6 and the euthanasia order upheld. The council refused to give up and went back to court, this time requesting emergency precautionary measures to halt the killing while the case continued.
Those measures have now been granted. The Balearic Islands High Court has agreed to provisionally suspend the euthanasia order, ruling that public health and the dog's welfare can be reconciled in this case, since the animal is fully isolated, under constant veterinary supervision and poses no risk to the public in its current situation.
The puppy is being cared for at Natura Parc in Mallorca, where it's reported to be in perfect health, with the Santa Eulària council continuing to cover the costs of its care.
The council has also taken the opportunity to clear up some confusion that's been circulating online, with some reports incorrectly suggesting the council itself was behind the euthanasia order. It was in fact the council that fought to save the dog's life and took the case to court to make sure it got a fair hearing.
Image: Ayuntamiento de Santa Eulària
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