Ebola nurse's husband fights to save family dog from being put to sleep

Javier, whose wife Teresa, 44, is in isolation at the Carlos III hospital, was ordered to give consent for their dog to be put down in case he spread the virus to other humans or animals.

When Javier refused, the regional government announced that it would simply obtain a court order, break into the family home, and put the animal, Excalibur, to sleep.

And he is helpless to be able to stop them, because he, too, is in isolation in the same hospital as a precaution.

Javier has written to the Villa Pepa animal shelter, says it is 'unjust and unfair' that due to 'mistakes made by the health authority' in failing to ensure the safety of its hospital staff that they should 'decide to solve the problem quickly'.

“There is no reason why a dog should infect a person, or vice versa,” he insists.

“If they're that concerned, then they should seek alternative solutions, such as putting Excalibur in quarantine and observation, in the same way as they have done with me.

“Or perhaps I should be put down, too, as a precaution?

“But then, of course, they think a dog doesn't matter, don't they, and putting him to sleep is the easy way out.”

At least 100 people gathered outside the hospital in Alcorcón, where the couple lives and where Teresa was originally admitted, protesting about Excalibur's fate.

Over 167,000 people have signed a petition and the animal protection party, PACMA, has joined the campaign.

Protesters carried banners reading, 'Javi and Teresa, Excalibur is not alone', and 'without proof of infection, putting a dog down is illegal'.

They say the dog should be put in quarantine and tested before any decision is made.

PACMA said it will work two-hour shifts from midnight to carry on the protest through the night.

Javier got in touch with the charity Mascoteros Solidarios whose chairman, Carlos Rodríguez, has taken the dog in so he was legally able to decide Excalibur's fate – which would be preventing him from being put down – but the regional government has already obtained a court order and says it will force entry into whichever home the dog is based in as soon as the vets can get there.

Carlos is looking after the dog in the couple's home in Alcorcón.

Animal charities have slammed the government for not following any procedures or testing before deciding randomly to end the dog's life.

The regional health authority says there is 'no proof that dogs cannot carry and pass on the disease'.

A petition on www.change.org can be found by searching 'Excalibur'.

At the time of publication, it had 46,743 signatures.