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This is a brief diary-documentation of the graduation project developed by Ana Robles Pérez during her Master's studies in the Social Design department at Design Academy Eindhoven, under the department direction of Marina Otero Verzier from 2023 to 2024.
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↘︎ *In response to the alarming statistics of 70% land dissertation and the annual abandonment of 168,000 dogs in Spain, “El perro poblador” (the dog settler in Spanish) envisions a transformative universe where both pressing issues intersect to create a mutually beneficial multispecies model.
Through a re-introduction species protocol$^1$, a documentary film$^2$, an archetypal festivity publication$^3$ and a traditional conmemoration$^4$, Ana introduces the historic colonization village of Villalba de Calatrava, along with a family of four stray canines, as the pioneers of this practice starting on August 8th, 2023, with “The festivities of El Perro Poblador”. This celebratory occasion, which converges rigorous animal species translocation protocols with the reinterpretation of historical, traditional, and folkloric wisdom rooted in the affected rural community, reimagines these canines as catalysts for revitalization. A new paradigm where these so-called “settler dogs” transcend their conventional roles as domestic companions to become pioneers in endangered ecosystems.*
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The research began by examining the current status of village dogs—those typically living roaming freely in small communities and often referred to as "community dogs." This “category” of dog is especially common in Mediterranean countries and regions in South America. In South America, some of the most notable examples are Olga, the university dog of Lima (Peru) and Vaquita-Perrovaca (2023) from Antofagasta (Chile). Meanwhile, in Spain, famous cases include Rufo (1980) in Oviedo and perro Paco in Madrid (1882).
↘︎ Geoguessr was one of the tools used for this exploration.
Fig. 1 - Screenshot from the research on village dogs conducted using Geoguessr
The research progressed with an in-depth exploration of village dog cases in real life, particularly in the area near my hometown (Ciudad Real), where these dogs commonly inhabit. Specific villages were selected based on characteristics such as size, population, and level of isolation, making them ideal locations for studying the presence and behavior of these dogs.
Fig. 2 - Map highlighting the various villages visited during the search for village dogs in center Spain
Fig. 3 - Behind-the-scenes videos capturing moments of meeting and interacting with some of the village dogs encountered during the research.
Fig. 4 - One of the dogs encountered in Navalrincón (Ciudad Real)
Fig. 5 - One of the dogs encountered in Fontanarejo (Ciudad Real)
🌟 One of the most surprising discoveries was the case of Magdalena, the brown dog shown in the picture below. I had the opportunity to speak with several villagers, who informed me that she is around 13 years old. The following image is a screenshot from Google Maps Street View in 2008, where a younger Magdalena can be seen resting in front of the same village house where I found her in 2023. ↘︎
Fig. 6 - Photo I took of Magdalena in 2023 in El Alcornocal (Ciudad Real)