This time last year, the first week of July, I travelled into Spain, to Ciudad Real, to get my galga Karmel. Little did I know upon what a journey I was embarking.
I chose my galga Karmel from the website of L’Europe des Levriers.
I chose her because the information was that she had been in the refuge for a few months, she had a puppy – not hers – snuggling up to her in her picture – and she was brindle, which was the same colouring as our French levrier X.
It was a journey which changed my life.
You can read about my trip in a piece I wrote for the Daily Telegraph, titled Fast work by the galgo rescuers.
I learned about the plight of the galgos – how the galguerros meet out such cruelty, during the lives of the galgos and, more horrifically, at the end of the hunting season.
I determined to do what I could to help publicise the plight of the galgos.
And I was introduced to Craig McGinty, through another animal enthusiast Susie Kelly, and a big hole in my life in France became filled.
Craig and I exchanged ideas and he came up with the suggestion of having a weblog for the galgos. With my past experience in radio journalism with the BBC, I came up with the idea of a galgo ‘newspaper’ whereby I could cover galgo news from all or as many of the galgo rescue associations and refuges and every other association involved in trying to improve the plight of the galgo in Spain.
So Galgo News was born.
I now want to pay tribute to Craig. He runs Galgo News free; he makes no charges for his input to host Galgo News. I can write whatever I want, all I have to ask of him is that he posts onto Galgo News the pictures I send him.
Which is why, if you ever wonder, you never see the horrific pictures of what happens to galgos in Spain – the hangings, the burning alive, the mutilations, the results of torture, trapping in snares – all the pictures of what the sadistic galguerros inflict on these wonderful affectionate loving gentle (except when on the trail of a rabbit, hare or whatever!) dogs.
You will find links to the sites which highlight the poor dogs who have suffered these inflictions in the past, with a warning of what you are about to see.
So, thank you a million times, Craig, for what you have given to me in the way of help with Galgo News, and also indirectly to the galgos and podencos you have helped, and also to highlight the amazing volunteers in Spain who work against tremendous odds and prejudice from their own people, to help these wonderful survivor dogs.
Long may our association last, and in hope that together we may be able to help make a difference and improvement to the horrendous plight of these wonderful dogs, to give hope and encouragement to the amazing volunteers working in Spain to save these dogs from horrendous and torturous deaths – the pain these poor dogs suffer is unimagineable – and get Spain to realise that the rest of the world is criticising what they are closing their eyes to – the massacre of tens of thousands of galgos at the end of every Spanish hunting season in January, February, and the months following.
As I said, Craig makes no charge for what he does for Galgo News and, so, in thanks to him, I occasionally write an article for him. So, if you are interested, log onto This French Life, and you can read more.
Thank you, Craig, for your support and friendship.