Lexus Driver Denies Abandoning Cats in Encamp, Demands Apology from Activists

A Spanish-registered Lexus driver accused by animal rights group Ronronejand of abandoning cats in Encamp has denied the claims, stating the cats never left their carrier and demanding a public apology from the organisation.

The vehicle's owner, a Catalan visitor, and his Andorran partner expressed outrage after Ronronejand publicly shared the car's licence plate on Instagram last Saturday, prompting traffic authorities to immobilise the Lexus on Sunday. They insist all documentation for the two cats—chipped and up-to-date on vaccinations—was in order, and no abandonment occurred.

The incident unfolded last Friday evening when the man arrived in Encamp to pick up his partner for a weekend trip to central Catalonia. Early Saturday, they placed the cats, owned by the Andorran woman, into a carrier before loading it into the Lexus. Noticing one cat had defecated inside, the partner cleaned the carrier while the man held it shut to prevent the animals from escaping. She then disposed of the waste in a nearby container area by the FAF football field, which also serves a feral cat colony. A van pulled up behind them at the same time, also discarding rubbish.

The couple proceeded with their journey unaware of any issue. They returned to Encamp on Sunday evening, and the man went to the car early Monday at 6am to drive home, only to find it immobilised with a wheel clamp and a note from traffic services.

Encamp commune confirmed on Monday that checks found "everything in order and nothing anomalous", noting the cats "did not leave the carrier at any point". The pair, who adopted the cats from an Alt Urgell shelter after the woman's previous pet died, now plan to relocate them to her central Catalonia farm and update ownership papers.

Ronronejand's president initially told *Altaveu* on Saturday that they had seen the vehicle and had grounds for suspicion. The group reportedly alerted traffic police nationwide over the weekend but has since gone silent, ignoring calls. The couple questions whether authorities were justified in clamping the car without evidence and fears vigilante acts, such as slashed tyres. They are considering legal action but primarily seek a public retraction.