We all try and do our bit to help the plight of the galgos and podencos in Spain. What I’d like to do now is have a MASS letter-writing campaign to the Spanish Prime Minister. Together with Charl, we’ve put together the following letter.
Please print off a copy of the letter and send it to the Spanish Prime Minister.
Please tell all your friends to do the same, and ask other animal rescue/welfare associations to run this appeal on their websites.
I’m getting a copy of it translated into Spanish too, and I’m checking, as I think there are elections due to be held in Spain on 9th March and it may be that Senor Zapatero is not re-elected.
Also an email address, although I think letters through the post will have more chance of arriving on someone’s desk! gabinete@presidencia.gob.es
The Prime Minister of Spain
Senor J L R Zapatero
Palacio de la Moncloa
Edf. Semillas 28071
MADRID
Spain
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to you to voice my concerns about the severe maltreatment of galgos in Spain.
As you are aware, galgos are used in hunting hares. Hunting hares with galgos has been banned in the rest of Europe. Spain is the only remaining country which practises such a thing. For many years now, the people of Spain have been against this, and their opinion has been ignored.
In other countries galgos are pets, the noblest of noble, with their gentle and loving natures. In Spain, galgos are regarded as the lowest of dogs, unless they are used in the hunting or racing world.
In Spain, the galgo is totally misunderstood, only thought of as a hunting dog, one that ‘wants to hunt and run’. This is a fallacy, quite untrue. These dogs are obliged to hunt because most are starved into being hungry enough to chase. In the hands of a hunter, a galgo is kept in cold sheds, or outdoors in all weathers, chained to the same wall they have been chained to all their life and, on completion of the hunt season, considered too time consuming to keep, so abandoned without care. Thrown away like a cigarette end.
Not that they were ever looked after in the first place, stale crumbs of bread at the weekend, or when someone remembers, is no way to keep a dog. Their owners take out many of their frustrations on the dogs in beatings, and then hangings! They are hung from trees, dropped into wells, burnt alive, and the list goes on. This I know you are aware of by the many campaigns and the many letters which are sent to you.
My question is this – why have you ignored such abuse?
Some 50,000 galgos are left abandoned at the end of the hunting season, not to mention the numbers which aren’t able to be rescued, because they’ve been hidden so they can meet their horrendous deaths alone. This is a staggering amount of abuse. Alongside that, the council-run shelters often take in 30 or so galgos at a time from hunters, and these dogs face ending their lives in cold shelters without care of chance of adoption. So the local councils erase the truth, that if they did not take these dogs, they would be answerable as to why there are galgos being abandoned or hung. This way, it’s clean and tidy and no-one will k now. WRONG, it makes them as bad as the hunters.
It is a sad fact that many Spanish people are ashamed to be Spanish because of the abuse of animals, lack of animal welfare and the massive lack of a campaign for welfare awareness in Spain. An educational campaign should be run, as happens in neighbouring European countries, to teach everyone in Spain, young and old, to respect and look after ALL animals. Spain needs a national law to protect its animals and to stop hunting with galgos. It would be better for Spain to be known for this, rather than deplored for the abuse to animals, which is its current reputation.
It is time Spain joined 2008 in this respect, there is no need to allow such abuse, nor to ignore it. It is time Spain woke up to the damage it is doing to its animals. Animals should have rights, they are not entertainment toys. The people of Spain do not want galgos to be abused any longer.
Unless this happens, Spain is going to lose out, people will stop visiting.
Please listen to the public of Spain and the rest of the world, not the minority who like to hunt. Create a law to stop hunting with galgos. Ensure the law in Spain forbidding the maltreatment of animals is enforced, and enforce also the consequences of breaking these laws.
Yours
The letter can be downloaded as a .pdf file which should open automatically, just sign, date and add your address at the end of the letter. (Flag image by César Astudillo.)
Comments
15 responses to “Let’s Make Our Voices Heard for those who suffer in silence”
This is wonderful, well done Beryl and Charl.
Can you email it in word form to those who want it…i have experienced some problems trying to print from the |News….?
Reposted in Word form, hopefully now you will be able to download it.
I’ve also asked my wonderful webmaster to check it can be download. He’ll make sure it works!
B
Thank you for the translation. I have copyed, signed and send the letter.
Thank you Hulda, for reading Galgo News and for taking action on the Letter. If you can get lots more of your family, friends etc. to do the same, it’s all helping make an impact.
B
Email sent.
Bonjour Cristina
Thank you on behalf of the silent sufferers for sending an email, and thank you to everyone else. Please get as many people as possible to join in with the campaign of support for the Environment Minister. It might help.
B
Let us hope
Hi Annette
Thank you for reading Galgo News and takming time to comment. Please persuade as many people as possible to print off a copy of this letter and send it off.
I have had a reply back, which is good but it is in Spanish, naturally, and I am trying to find someone to translate it for me. I am told that it is probably a standard response, but at least it is a response and the Spanish government know that the world outside Spain is watching what happens to the galgos.
Keep supporting
B
I am living in Lanzarote and the situation is a similar one here. A poor Podenco turned up on my doorstep 6 weeks ago, starving and desperate. We have kept her and love her dearly. Now hunting season is here again we will undoubtedly see many Podenco’s lost, abandoned or knocked down by cars. Something needs to be done here also but as Lanzarote is not part of Europe it will undoubtedly choose to ignore any law even it one were passed. I wish you luck and hope for these beautiful creatures that something will be done sooner rather than later.
Hi Jacky
Thanks for reading Galgo News, and for taking time to post a message.
I thought Lanzarote would come under Spanish law, although it is so close to Africa. Not that Spain bothers about enforcing the animal protection law which does exist.
Is there anything the Ibizhan Hound Rescue association can do to help you? Is there a similar problem on the other islands?
It’s difficult to know how to tackle a situation – does one build a refuge – which could encourage people to abandon their animals even more – or tackle the problem of indiscriminate breeding, and how to do it. Is there anything RSPCA International or WSPA can do to help you?
Could you take up the mantle for these animals?
If you would like to write a more detailed report on the situation there, I’m sure a lot of readers and associations would be interested to know what goes on.
My feeling is that if we can make more people aware of these problems, then at least that is a step in trying to improve the situation. How else will the animals get help.
And maybe someone out there can help you.
Thanks again for reading and posting.
B
I have just been contacted by a lady called Jilly who is also in Lanzarote and wants to help the podencos.
If you email me with your email address, I will put you in touch.
B
email sent
Bonjour
Great, thanks to everyone who sends a copy of this letter. I posted mine and had a reply. It was all in Spanish, not surprisingly, but a general translation says the government is aware of people’s concern but doesn’t say they will do anytyhing about it! But we have to keep sending the messages that the world outside Spain is watching what goes on and raising voices on behalf of those animals who cannot speak for themselves.
Keep reading GN, and tell friends and family to send letters too.
Thanks
B
Will send letter, cross post and share.
We should bombard the Spanish government with mails, letters and so on until they do something about animal welfare.
All the animals in Spain are suffering day in and day out!
Thanks for all you do.
TypePadBonjour
Thank you for reading Galgo News and for taking the time to deal with the letter to Spain. As you say, everyone around the world needs to bombard the Spanish Government with letters about their turning a blind eye to the horrendous cruelty which they allow as -entertainment’ in their country, and just treating animals as a disposable piece of litter to throw away in the street.
Please do cross post anything from Galgo News, the more publicity all the refuges and associations I mention, so much the better for them.
And the amazing volunteers in Spain who cope with the emotional and physical demands of picking up the pieces of abandoned galgos at the end of every hunting season need to know that we are all supporting them and trying to help them in every way we know.
Please pass the word around, get as many people as possible to send letters.
Thank you again for reading Galgo News.
Amities
Beryl
http://www.galgonews.com
Helping to make a difference
A person who has never known a dog’s love has missed a wonderful part of life. Bob Barker
The dog has no ambition, no self-interest, no desire for vengeance, no fear other than that of displeasing. Count of Buffon