The following letter has been received from April and Paul Carrier, right, at the Alpha Dog Centre:
We have worked for 8 years rehabilitating and preparing small groups of 10 to 20 Spanish Galgos for adoption. We have been spared the reality of the desperate day-to-day struggle undergone by dedicated and caring individuals like Saskia and Juan the veterianarian, who spend the bulk of their lives working to help abandoned Galgos and many other dogs of all shapes and sizes at their shelter.
They are on the ‘front line’, seeing and experiencing the abandonment of galgos and other dogs on a scale hard to imagine.
This morning Paul went to visit their shelter, Acogida de San Anton in Villamartin, Andalucia, to collect another galga. He found Saskia and Juan sad and beginning to lose hope – they currently have in their care around 70 Galgos, and 125 other dogs.
Every day on average another 10 dogs are brought or left tied to their gate. That’s in the region of 70 dogs a week.
They can no longer cope with the numbers of dogs, and find themselves in a terrible situation – they must euthanise any and all newcomers, healthy or not, young or old, pure breed or mixed breed.
For Saskia and Juan, what would normally be an act of mercy has become an every day occurrence…. they simply do not have the resources to take any more dogs, not even one. This is a heartbreaking situation.
The shelter has become so overcrowded that the dogs are fighting with each other. They can barely afford to feed all these dogs, they need more veterinary medicines to cope with the enormous number of dogs they are trying to help.
They need help finding homes and foster families to begin reducing the huge number of galgos and other dogs.
Any publicity, cash donations, any help at all that can be given, let’s get it done.
Please forward this message to any individual or association who might be able to make a difference to the dogs at Acogida de San Anton, especially with adoption help.
Saskia can be emailed in English, Spanish or Dutch: saskiariniavannauta@hotmail.com
Their website (in Dutch): www.spaansehonden.com
You can donate direct via this website.
Very Best Wishes from the ever Hopeful
April & Paul Carrier
Alpha Dog Centre
Cadiz, Andalucia
Address for the treasurer of the refuge, for donations, is
Fam. E.H. van Poelwijck
De Aalscholver 4
7702 AE Dedemsvaart
The Netherlands.
Comments
3 responses to “Urgent Help needed for Galgos in Andalucia”
German site about San Anton /Villamartin:
http://www.galgo-in-not.de/CMS/content/view/83/72/
With kind regards,
http://galgo-in-not.de/forum/index.php
Hi
Thank you for the link. Frustratingly for me, I only studied German for 2 years at school, and so I am unable to translate news from their site. If you know anyone who can help me, please put them in touch.
Thank you for reading Galgo News
Beryl
Hi,
I must apologise if this is only for galgos, but I am getting desperate.
We have two 18 months old dogs (brothers) who need loving family homes/or home.
They are both slightly larger than medium height but that it where the similarity ends, Diablo is black with curly silky soft hair, white points and can only be described as ugly beautifull with his peculiar crumpled face, he is incredibly intelligent, loyal, and is at my side within seconds, if he sees me start at a noise or believes I need watching out for, he would be a superb dog for a woman or for a family with children, he needs room, would definately need a garden, or regular walks,but would be absolutely at home in the campo, he is the best mannered dog on a lead that I have ever known, and is a delight to take out. He utterly adores children, though likes to lie on thier lap with his nose or his paw pressed into thier neck, so probably would be better with children over the age of 6. He has all the qualities required in a dog that will both protect your home whilst being a fabulous companion.
Homer is beautifull,& looks like a small retriever cross with a gorgeous honey coloured coat with,slightly long silky hair, white bib & gorgeous shading on his face and back. He looks and acts like a puppy, is slightly timid, though has boundless energy & will playfor hours, loves children if they are not too bolshy, and will not leave your side for long, he needs room and a large garden would be recommended. All this dog really wants and needs is to have someone to adore, as his mother wanted nothing to do with him, and he was constantly being handled & helped by the family, to him people are what life is all about.
Please feel free to phone me on 956 430343