From a post by Jack Leonard on my Save the Galgos page on facebook
‘This coming weekend of January 10 will begin the long awaited Spanish National Championship for the Galgo in the village of Madrigal de las Altas Torres. Thousands upon thousands of galgos have been competing this season all for the foolish dreams of their owners that they will produce the Champion of Spain. The competition is now down to a handful of dogs and the excitement is building.
Tens of thousands of spectators will travel to this region to watch and spend millions of euros in the economy but what are the real costs associated with this annual event? How many thousands of Galgos have been sacrificed already this season leading up to this day? How many more thousands will be sacrificed once the season is officially over? Where are the retired Galgos from 3-4-5 seasons ago? What becomes of the dogs no longer healthy enough to compete or were just not good enough? Where do they go?
The galgueros are already nurturing and training next years hopeful young, a result of massive overbreeding because out of the 4-5-8-10 that you prepare for next season you may find1 or 2 that have promise to fulfill your foolish dreams, the rest disposed of or sold away.
Is the price the Galgos have to pay worth the trophies and respect a few galgueros win each year? Are communities willing to exchange the blood of thousands of Galgos across all of Spain that are victims leading up to this annual event and afterwards for a temporary boost to their local economy? Is there no social or moral sense of what price the featured “star” of this event, the Galgo, pays in exchange?
These are the reasons we march and protest. The ancient, archaic attitudes that put no value on the dogs beyond their useful days as a competitor or breeder, must change and be seen for what it is.
Comments
3 responses to “A hell of a life for a galgo in Spain”
This is very well written. These dogs need protecting and they are suffering in their hundreds of thousands. The evidence is there, the dogs abandoned, tortured, hung, left to die in kill shelters. Yet some people think that these hunters are jolly decent types who take care of their dogs. The evidence is to the contrary, it’s there for all to see.
it sure is taking a long time for this change it s like taking 2 steps fwd and 20 back until th councils and governments see the animals the way we do there will never be change to the max ye bits and pieces happening but not fast enough more and more innocent animals paying the price until this change takes place shameful bless all the dear souls all I can do is think of them and hope the people responsible get the max punishment for these crimes
Well said. No matter how many dogs the shelters and associations save and rehome, things will never change as long as mentalities remain the same. A great deal of attention and education should be spent on Spanish children, to change their attitudes, because they are young enough and willing to change. I really don’t think that a macho man in his 30s and up will ever change his ways… Change doesn’t come about because of laws, it comes from awareness and education, in all areas of life.