Hundreds of the galgos which are rescued and rehomed from Spain are young dogs. But there are some who manage to survive their lives of hell until they are 7 or 8 years old.
They carry the scars, maybe even more of a reason to give them a chance of what life can be like. We’ve read the amazing story of Kamal who survived a life of utter hell for 11 years, in a refuge of all places!
Virginie Labat, a volunteer with Passion Levriers, tells the story of Saki, a 10 year old Spanish galgo, who was on death row in a municipal compound in Pamlona.
Let me tell you the story of Saki a 10 year old Spanish Galgo:
He was to be sacrificed in a perrera in Pamplona in March 2008. He was waiting in the death corridor. Why? He was a galgo, and he was old. A history of ill treatment at the hands of a galguero as usual. Just abandoned like a piece of paper in the street.
The Basque Spanish TV interviewed Passion Levriers in March during a rescue in Irun, near the Spanish border.
A young girl named Haizea saw the interview and sent us an email, she wanted to help us, she is Spanish and lives on the border between France and Spain.
At the same time, a man called our volunteers in Irun (he saw the interview on TV too), he knew about a galgo to be sacrificed two days after, he was too old, no more use for him.
We connected all together and decided to take this galgo to Haizea’s home as a foster home.
We knew very well he had little chance of being because of his age, but we worked all together to save him.
We put Saki on the website, he was there for weeks, no one asking for him – such a pity.
And then at the beginning of May, a French volunteer called me: Virginie, you saw Saki in Irun because Haizea, Miriam and Susana took him to you during a rescue. I have 2 adoptants who would like to know more about him, but they are not sure about adopting such an old galgo. Speak with them, you know him, please try your best.
I called them, they were very sympathetic, they really wanted to rescue a galgo but Saki was old and they thought he will not be able to follow them because they practice a lot of sport like running and so. As we say in France, “I threw myself in the water”.
I explained that, even if he was old, he was in very good health, I could speak about him because I knew him personally. We spoke together a long time. They told me they will call me back. I was sure I had not explained everything which was in my heart concerning Saki.
They called me the day after, they wanted to adopt him. A big day for all Passion Levriers volunteers. They said – we watched the video Haizea made about Saki, we want him!
To end, Saki is still an old hound but he is alive and loves his new life with Helene and Arnaud, it is a victory for all of us.