TV Celeb Escapes Prison Sentence over Dog Border Controls

 

Spanish TV celeb Ángela Portero has escaped a prison sentence after fleeing Guardia Civil border guards whilst attempting to bring her dog into Spain without the necessary paperwork.

Portero was initially handed down a 9 month prison sentence for the crime of "Disobedience to Authority", but was later commuted to 6 months after paying an undisclosed fine.

Upon her return to Spain after a brief holiday in Morocco with the pooch and her children, she was stopped by border guards in Algeciras who asked her to wait whilst they decided the next course of action for the dog.

Rabies is a common problem in Morocco and Ángela Portero's dog should have been tested for the disease before returning to Spain.

Faced with a lengthy wait, the possibility of her pooch being returned to Morocco or quarantined, and with her children waiting in the car, Portero decided to flee the border and headed home to Malaga.

The Guardia Civil promptly issued an arrest warrant and raided her home where she was formally detained.

Appearing live on top Spanish gossip show Salvame, where she appears regularly, Ángela Portero attempted to explain her actions claiming she didn't have the time to sort it out there and then, but was going to later.

However, her TV colleagues were not so impressed and instead berated her verbally.

Since it was a first offence and less than the statutory 2 year minimum sentence for imprisonment, Ángela Portero's sentence was suspended.

Strictly speaking, it isn't an offence to bring a pet into Spain without the necessary paperwork as long as the animal is not on any illegal or dangerous animal list and the animal is not being smuggled.

However, without it you can expect your pet to be quarantined as well as being charged for vet, accommodation and legal fees.

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