Letter-writing campaign – join in – Spanish government, embassies….

Please copy and send this letter to the Spanish government, provincial governments and Spanish embassies around the world. You will find the addresses in the links at the end of the letter. I realise you are all busy people, but it is important that we keep up the pressure on Spain to do something about the mass abandonment of hunting dogs every year.

I realise also that postage is expensive if you are sending a dozen letters but, again, it’s not a lot of money if we can help make a difference, and help the noble volunteers in Spain and the Spanish islands every year all year with the mass abandonment of dogs.

Would associations also please link in and ask their members and supporters to join in. We need letters to go out in their hundreds – thousands would be even better!

My thanks to Judy Ward for composing it. This is the link to the letter in Spanish. My thanks to Carla Johnson for the translation.

THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
Complejo de la Moncloa.
28071 Madrid
Spain

Senor Zapatero

As yet another Spanish hunting season approaches the cycle of cruelty to hunting dogs continues relentlessly. Whilst over-burdened rescues which rely on donations and voluntary help struggle to save only some of the dogs abandoned, maltreated and mutilated after being discarded like trash at the end of last season, yet more are being bred, often in awful conditions or reclaimed after being kept at someone else’s expense to serve unworthy masters yet again through the coming hunting season. Their fate will be equally as cruel as that of their predecessors .

This applies to all dogs used in hunting throughout Spain but there are particularly large numbers of galgos and podencos. These noble animals have served man for thousands of years and are amongst the most gentle, loyal and trusting. Their domestication has led them to be totally dependent on man for food, shelter and vetinary care. The disgregard for their welfare as evidenced in the media and seen by the world is a betrayal of this trust. The dog has more dignity and integrity than his owner!

It is a disgrace to the whole hunting fraternity that images of these dogs abandoned and starving, corpses found dangling from trees, dogs still alive with horrendous cuts to their necks caused by being hung from a wire and dogs beaten, or hit by vehicles and suffering multiple injuries litter the internet. Many people find these images too distressing to observe. In any other setting the people who perpetrate these acts would be seen as psychotic.

It is time for everyone involved to acknowledge the extent of the cruelty and suffering and to take personal and corporate responsibility for stopping it now. The absence of legislation to protect these dogs implies a complicit acceptance of the status quo.

The following measures are urgently required :-

1) Hunting dogs to be protected under the laws that apply to domestic animals

2) All dogs registered and breeding contolled and limited

3) Central and local enforcement of legislation

4) Education programmes on responsible animal ownership for the young to be supported.

Spain is a beautiful country and the vitality and warmth of it’s people attracts visitors from around the world. Sadly the dark underbelly of Spanish hunting traditions is damaging the county’s image.. Others are left to mop up after the hunters with rescues in Spain and throughout Europe and even America compassionately coming to the aid of sentient creatures which are brutally discarded by traditional hunters.

Tradition is fine as long as it isn’t a misnoma for acceptable ignorance on behalf of those who perpetuate and.or condone cruelty by taking no action. It’s time the hunters were made to respect their dogs and take proper care of them for life, at present most have no more regard for them than they do for spent cartridges.

Today’s media is such that this perpetual irresponsibility and cruelty on behalf of some hunters who represent a small portion of the Spanish population will not go unnoticed. I look forward to your response.

Yours

Name
Address
Country

You will find a list of addresses here