January 22, 2026, 6:46 p.mJanuary 22, 2026, 6:46 p.m
Four days after the devastating train accident with more than 40 fatalities, a special kind of “family reunion” is moving many people in Spain. A dog that was traveling with its owner in one of the two accidents was found safe and well after days of searching.
“Boro”, a mix of schnauzer and Spanish water dog, was picked up on Thursday near the scene of the accident in Adamuz in the province of Córdoba, said the animal protection party Pacma. The dog has “now been reunited with his family,” the statement said. He had been missing since the accident on Sunday evening and many people were looking for him.
Boro was missing for four days.Image: keystone
Videos show Ana García happily hugging, stroking and kissing the dog. The 26-year-old was traveling with her pregnant sister Raquel (32), the dog’s owner, and her partner on the high-speed train from Málaga to Madrid that derailed on Sunday, crashed into the neighboring track and threw an oncoming train off the track.
Ana’s sister Raquel is still in the intensive care unit at the Reina Sofía Hospital in Córdoba, but her life is not in danger. According to Ana García, she suffered serious injuries in the collision, including her head, as she was probably trying to protect her dog. After the impact, she remained unconscious under the rubble.
Volunteers come from all over Spain
The fate of “Boro” caused great sympathy in Spain. The animal was lost for almost four days in the low mountain range of the Sierra Morena with temperatures below zero at night and sometimes heavy rain. “Emergency forces from various security agencies as well as representatives of animal protection organizations and the animal protection party Pacma took part in the search. “Volunteers also helped, some of whom even came from other regions of Spain,” reported the TV station RTVE.
It was Ana herself who on Monday – with her injuries from the accident still clearly visible – desperately asked in front of the cameras for help in finding the dog. On Thursday she appeared in the media again: visibly moved, smiling, with “Boro” in her arms. The dog is fine, she said. There was a lot of joy among helpers and journalists around them.
Even the Spanish government reacted. Even if “people are the most important thing,” animals also play a “valuable role” in a family’s everyday life, wrote Transport Minister Óscar Puente on X. Meanwhile, Pacma posted: “The tragedy of the accident ends with a small ray of hope.” (sda/dpa)