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The 2021 Tajogaite eruption on La Palma devastated banana production, a key crop, with a 50% loss (53,000 tons). Concerned about potential contamination from volcanic ash and magma, we investigated the elemental composition of bananas from the eruption area and control sites. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis quantified both essential and non-essential mineral elements, including potentially toxic elements identified by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), as well as rare earth elements (REEs) and other trace elements that are scarcely studied under volcanic conditions. This approach allowed for spatial and temporal comparisons. Results showed a decrease in element levels post-eruption; however, samples from the volcanic area still exhibited elevated concentrations of Fe, Co, Cd, Al, Ba, Ni, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, and REEs. Control samples from unaffected islands with higher anthropogenic pressure showed elevated levels of Mn and Mo. Despite the increased element levels, banana consumption remains safe and constitutes a valuable source for the recommended daily intake of Mo and Co. Most toxic elements were present at less than 1% of the tolerable daily intake (TDI), with the highest values for As and V reaching 3%, and no risk was associated according to the margin of exposure approach. This eruption highlights the need for continuous monitoring in volcanic regions to safeguard public health and food safety.

Low-dose psychedelics have shown potential in modulating chronic pain in humans, yet their application in veterinary medicine remains unexplored. This study protocol proposes to investigate the therapeutic potential of low-dose oral administration of 1-cyclopropionyl-D-lysergic acid diethylamide (1cp-LSD), a legal LSD analogue in certain countries, for the management of chronic pain in privately owned dogs with osteoarthritis. The study will employ a randomized, placebo-controlled design with caregivers blinded to treatment allocation. A cohort of about 24 dogs previously diagnosed with osteoarthritis, will orally receive sub-perceptual, intermittent doses of 1cp-LSD over a 30-day period, while maintaining their standard analgesic regimens to safeguard animal welfare. Outcome measures will include the Canine Brief Pain Inventory and caregiver-reported assessments, including the Treatment Expectation Questionnaire (TEX-Q), to evaluate both pharmacological efficacy and the influence of caregiver expectations as an indirect indicator of placebo effects as a secondary aim. The study anticipates a reduction in pain scores among treated dogs, potentially modulated by caregiver expectations. However, the sustained effect of 1cp-LSD in osteoarthritis remains uncertain due to interactions with inflammatory mediators. Limitations include the lack of established dose–response relationships, small cohort size, and variability in caregiver perceptions, which will be analyzed descriptively. The protocol establishes a comprehensive and methodologically framework to evaluate both the pharmacological therapeutic effects of low-dose psychedelics in managing chronic osteoarthritic pain and the psychological factors that may influence perceived outcomes.

La Graciosa, a Natura 2000 site in the Canary Islands, faces substantial conservation challenges, including a large free-roaming cat population that threatens the island’s native biodiversity. In July 2024, a Trap–Neuter–Return (TNR) campaign achieved an 81.4% sterilization rate within urban areas, highlighting TNR’s short-term effectiveness in reducing reproductive potential and, consequently, mitigating predation pressures primarily through the prevention of new litters and reduced reproductive activity in cats. The campaign’s success relied heavily on the active involvement of the local community, who assisted with identifying, trapping, and monitoring free-roaming cats, thereby facilitating a high sterilization rate. However, administrative restrictions hindered access to peri-urban zones, leaving essential population clusters unsterilized and limiting the campaign’s overall scope. Additionally, strong opposition from conservation groups, amplified by extensive media coverage, halted the project prematurely, reducing the effective sterilization rate to 69.3% within three months. Population Viability Analysis (PVA) suggests that achieving high sterilization rates could lead to population reduction over time; however, the inability to access all population segments and to reach the ideal 93–95% sterilization threshold limits TNR’s potential as a long-term standalone solution. Our findings underscore the need for adaptive, context-specific management frameworks in ecologically sensitive areas that integrate TNR with complementary measures, consider regulatory barriers, and value community involvement. This case study provides crucial insights for policymakers and conservationists seeking to balance biodiversity conservation with humane management practices in protected areas.

Background: The infant population is particularly sensitive, so the risk posed by their diet must be analyzed. The aims of the present study were (i) to determine the contents of 38 elements in 159 samples of ready-to-eat baby food sold in Spain and (ii) to estimate the dietary intakes and risk assessments of these elements in name brands and store brands in infants ranging between 6 and 12 months of age. Methods: A list of essential, non-essential/toxic elements, rare earth elements (REEs), and other hi-tech-related elements that are currently considered as emerging environmental pollutants were measured in ready-to-eat baby foods by ICP-MS. Results: Fish purees showed the highest concentrations of mercury (28.1 ng/g) and arsenic (346.2 ng/g). The levels of manganese, molybdenum, and chromium exceed the adequate intake, being higher in the case of store brands. The acute hazard index was above 1 for molybdenum and manganese. A risky consumption of thallium and mercury was observed, being higher among name brands. The risk associated with the consumption of REEs was low, although its presence should be highlighted. Conclusions: This is the first time that these chemical elements have been measured in ready-to-eat purees for babies. The presence of some of them, such as mercury, should be sufficient to monitor the levels of these contaminants in food intended for such a sensitive population as children.

This study presents the scientific and methodological foundation of Spain’s first national framework for the ethical management of community cat populations: the Action Plan for the Management of Community Cat Colonies (PACF), launched in 2025 under the mandate of Law 7/2023. This pioneering legislation introduces a standardized, nationwide obligation for trap–neuter–return (TNR)-based management of free-roaming cats, defined as animals living freely, territorially attached, and with limited socialization toward humans. The PACF aims to support municipalities in implementing this mandate through evidence-based strategies that integrate animal welfare, biodiversity protection, and public health objectives. Using standardized data submitted by 1128 municipalities (13.9% of Spain’s total), we estimated a baseline population of 1.81 million community cats distributed across 125,000 colonies. These data were stratified by municipal population size and applied to national census figures to generate a model-ready demographic structure. We then implemented a stochastic simulation using Vortex software to project long-term population dynamics over a 25-year horizon. The model integrated eight demographic–environmental scenarios defined by a combination of urban–rural classification and ecological reproductive potential based on photoperiod and winter temperature. Parameters included reproductive output, mortality, sterilization coverage, abandonment and adoption rates, stochastic catastrophic events, and territorial carrying capacity. Under current sterilization rates (~20%), our projections indicate that Spain’s community cat population could surpass 5 million individuals by 2050, saturating ecological and social thresholds within a decade. In contrast, a differentiated sterilization strategy aligned with territorial reproductive intensity (50% in most areas, 60–70% in high-pressure zones) achieves population stabilization by 2030 at approximately 1.5 million cats, followed by a gradual long-term decline. This scenario prioritizes feasibility while substantially reducing reproductive output, particularly in rural and high-intensity contexts. The PACF combines stratified demographic modeling with spatial sensitivity, offering a flexible framework adaptable to local conditions. It incorporates One Health principles and introduces tools for adaptive management, including digital monitoring platforms and standardized welfare protocols. While ecological impacts were not directly assessed, the proposed demographic stabilization is designed to mitigate population-driven risks to biodiversity and public health without relying on lethal control. By integrating legal mandates, stratified modeling, and realistic intervention goals, this study outlines a replicable and scalable framework for coordinated action across administrative levels. It exemplifies how national policy can be operationalized through data-driven, territorially sensitive planning tools. The findings support the strategic deployment of TNR-based programs across diverse municipal contexts, providing a model for other countries seeking to align animal welfare policy with ecological planning under a multi-level governance perspective.

Managing community cats on islands requires reconciling animal-welfare mandates with biodiversity protection under real operational constraints. In the Canary Islands (Spain), national Law 7/2023 endorses ethical, non-lethal colony management, while subsequent regional resolutions restrict TNR in and around protected areas, narrowing municipal room for action. We combine a multilevel governance assessment with stochastic demographic simulations parameterized from official records to compare three sterilization regimes over 20 years. The intensive regime (≈60-70%/year) reflects the coverage threshold previously identified by Spain-based modelling and field evaluations and adopted in national program guidance; the 20%/year regime represents the pre-resolution baseline widely observed across the archipelago up to December 2024; and the 4%/year regime reflects the post-resolution reality, with abrupt declines in sterilizations, operations largely confined to urban cores, and program suspensions in multiple municipalities. Minimal (4%) and low (20%) efforts produce rapid population growth, bringing numbers close to the assumed carrying capacity under our deliberately high-K configuration and sustaining high densities and associated welfare and ecological risks; only sustained high-coverage TNR prevents saturation and produces progressive declines across island contexts. Under insular constraints, outcomes are determined by achievable coverage rather than regulatory intent; aligning policy and implementation to secure continuous, high-coverage TNR-particularly in risk-sensitive areas with appropriate safeguards-offers a feasible pathway to meet animal-welfare obligations while limiting ecological pressure.

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Shelter environments frequently expose dogs to chronic stress and anxiety, which can compromise their welfare and reduce their chances of adoption. Recent interest in psychedelic-assisted approaches has suggested potential therapeutic applications in veterinary behavioral medicine, although empirical evidence remains scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the combined effects of low-dose 1-cyclopropionyl lysergic acid diethylamide (1cp-LSD), a legal lysergamide prodrug of LSD in several countries, and ethological intervention (EI) on the behavior and welfare of shelter dogs. Twenty dogs were randomly assigned to four groups: pharmacological intervention, ethological intervention, combined treatment, or control. The ethological sessions were conducted by veterinary behaviorists, and pharmacological treatment consisted of 10 µg of 1cp-LSD administered orally for three weeks. Blinded evaluators assessed animals using validated anxiety and welfare scales, including a treatment expectation scale, before, during and after the intervention. Results showed that the combined condition consistently outperformed single interventions, significantly enhancing sociability, calmness, and positive emotional reactivity. Importantly, these improvements persisted for three weeks following treatment cessation, indicating sustained benefits beyond the active intervention phase. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the potential of integrating low doses of psychedelics with behavioral therapy in shelter settings. Future studies with larger cohorts and refined pharmacokinetic data are required to confirm safety, elucidate mechanisms, and optimize protocols for clinical application in veterinary practice.

Free-roaming cats may contribute to zoonotic risk via parasites and other eukaryotic taxa, yet surveillance in protected island settings is limited and conventional coprology can miss low-intensity or degraded signals. We conducted a cross-sectional 18S rRNA metabarcoding survey to establish a baseline profile of potentially pathogenic eukaryotes in community cats from La Graciosa (Natura 2000, Canary Islands, Spain) prior to large-scale antiparasitic interventions. We analysed 152 faecal samples, including fresh samples collected during a high-throughput TNR campaign (n = 37) and dry environmental deposits (n = 115). Host amplification was reduced using a feline 18S blocking primer; libraries were sequenced with Oxford Nanopore technology; and taxonomy was assigned using SILVA-based classifiers with downstream filtering for veterinary/zoonotic relevance. After quality control, 72 eukaryotic taxa were retained and DNA from at least 24 potentially pathogenic taxa was detected. Dipylidium caninum was most frequent (74.3%; 113/152), and opportunistic fungi/yeasts were common (e.g., Pichia kudriavzevii 42.4%, Diutina catenulata 31.5%). Zoonotic protozoa showed low-to-moderate detection frequency (Acanthamoeba castellanii 13.3%, Toxoplasma gondii 7.9%, Balamuthia mandrillaris 4.6%). Overall richness did not differ between fresh and dry samples (p > 0.05), but fresh samples contained higher richness of potentially pathogenic taxa (p < 0.01).

Homeless cats are a major problem in Europe, with hundreds of thousands abandoned every year. While many die, others can adapt to a lifestyle of roaming freely and establish community cat populations that tend to cluster together in groups. These groups of cats are typically found in urban areas that offer food and shelter to the cats. Animal welfare organizations often care for these cats, providing them with food, shelter, and medical attention. Despite this, conflicts can arise due to the presence of free-roaming cats, with some individuals advocating for drastic measures such as trapping and killing the cats to reduce their populations. However, it is essential to note that such methods are frequently illegal, inhumane, and ultimately ineffective in most situations. A thorough assessment of the impact of cats on a particular natural area requires a comprehensive cat census, a detailed study of the species being preyed upon, and an investigation into the prevalence of zoonotic or epizootic diseases. Moreover, veterinary experts assert that the public health risks associated with cats are often overstated. This article aims to provide a nuanced perspective on the impact of cats on biodiversity in natural areas, while also discussing their role in transmitting the main zoonotic diseases identified in European countries in recent years, with a particular focus on Spain. Effective cat control programs should focus on non-lethal methods such as trap–neuter–return (TNR) and adoption. TNR has proven to be the most effective and humane method of controlling the free-roaming cat population, but its effectiveness is influenced by several factors, including adoption programs and public education on responsible pet ownership. According to Spanish veterinarians, sustainable and science-based solutions such as TNR programs are the best way to achieve population control of free-roaming cats. The veterinary profession should raise awareness regarding sterilization, vaccination, and identification of cats and the consequences of abandonment. They oppose lethal control and removal of cats from the environment, which are ineffective and unethical methods. To promote animal welfare, veterinary professionals must collaborate with public administrations to implement long-term, sustainable solutions to the problem of cat overpopulation. Greater social awareness regarding the importance of sterilization and identification to prevent abandonment and reduce the number of free-roaming cats is also needed. Despite the challenges presented by homeless cat populations in Spain and the rest of Europe, there are many reasons for optimism. Animal welfare organizations and veterinary professionals are actively collaborating to develop humane and effective solutions to manage community cats, including programs such as TNR and adoption. Furthermore, these initiatives are gaining momentum and support from emerging laws and regulations, such as the recent Spanish animal welfare law. Through these efforts, we can reduce the number of free-roaming cats and improve their quality of life.