This is a post I have taken from my Save the Galgo facebook page, posted by Eva Concejal, another Spanish volunteer fighting for a better life for the hunting dogs of her country.
This album is the continuation of these other two albums, which are already full:
1) https://www.facebook.com/eva.concejal.3/media_set?set=a.561553830633553.1073741835.100003368222848&type=1
2) https://www.facebook.com/eva.concejal.3/media_set?set=a.565154710273465.1073741837.100003368222848&type=1
Above all, Eva wants to make it clear that this album is not intended to hurt anyone, nor, of course, morbidly wallow in the terrible hardships and mistreatment of galgos (Spanish greyhounds) and podencos.
‘After some hesitation, I decided to gather this series of images as a response to all those who deny and conceal this reality, trivialize it by saying that cases of abuse and neglect of these dogs are just a few, as well as that these are perpetrated by individuals who steal the dogs from their original owners. In the sight of all these pictures, it does not look like we are talking about “4 cases”, as has been said, does it?
A picture is worth a thousand words, and, unfortunately, there are many images here. There exist many more; these are just the ones that I myself I have been finding, without especially looking for them, throughout a not very long time of dissemination of galgos and podencos in need of a home.
I deeply feel that galgos and podencos, those sweet and noble beings that give the best of themselves to someone who uses and squeezes them, and after betrays them with death or abandonment-, deserve that we also are their voices to speak about their suffering; about all the injustices that some very misnamed “human” beings do to them.
Some images show murders, other, drop-outs, both in fields/towns, or in some dirty kennel, where they are handed over by their owners for their sacrifice.
They show these poor emaciated beings, in the bones, dying, locked up, injured, dead…
However, the images hardly show other equally tremendous harm in these animals: the psychological damage.
Apart from all the suffering that is inflicted to their poor bodies, there is also the one that is caused to their souls… Perhaps the most notable consequence in many cases is the terrible panic that so much suffering and betrayal printed to them.
The protagonists of these images that managed to survive their terrible situation, my deepest admiration for her tremendous life force, their courage and their desire to live. A great lesson in life that you teach us!
To those who could not overcome it, rest in peace, good, innocent beings, pure souls that now shine there where no one can ever cause you anymore harm; where justice and love that you had not in this world, will be your own right, as always should have been.
I will not say anything else, these pictures already speak enough for themselves…
They are very hard, but closing your eyes will not make this reality change. Others hide it, deny it, trivialize, keep silent; I feel the moral obligation to display it and make it known.
My heart is not the same after seeing them, after knowing that all of this is REAL and HAPPENS, it is not a simple “legend”, even if the interests of a few intend that this horrendous reality does not come to light.
It’s already well past the time that the competent authorities should take the necessary measures to prevent all this brutality towards the galgos and podencos, as well as other hunting breeds!
These are just a few of the hundreds of images in Eva’s albums.
Comments
2 responses to “Why no one should respect the Spanish galguero and cazadore”
I am horrified by this. I don’t understand anything about this culture. Are these hunting dogs? What do they hunt? How can they be effective at anything they are asked to do if they are starving. How does anyone get in touch with the people that own these dogs? Where are the authorities? In what region of Spain do these people live?
Most importantly, what can anyone do to help? Are there any groups that have been formed to stand up against these, obviously, wretched people. It appears to me that these people are not wealthy or educated. Is that true? If this is the case they are easy to overthrow. It is not like trying to overthrow the wealthy upper-class fox hunters that blatantly break the laws that forbid fox hunting and are equally as brutal as these individuals.
Give me all the information you can. I will look into it as well. I know a dog rescuer in Spain that I can contact.
God Speed! xoxo
Thank you for your comment. In answer, the galgos and podencos are used for hunting; the podencos also suffer horrendously in the Canary islands and you can read about that on my other blog Podenco Post (http://www.podencopost.com). There is serious uncontrolled over-breeding of galgos so that each year, after 4 months of the hunting season (Sept – Jan) in the regions of 100,000 galgos are disposed of in various ways. There are hundreds of rescue shelters and organisations working on the problem – see PACMA and APDDA – as well as association websites. There are also big demonstrations throughout Spain against hunting with galgos and other Spanish hunting dogs, usually in February on the Day of the Galgo. Rest assured that there is a hug groundswell of work going on to rectify the situation. And no, it is all classes who use these dogs; there are some hunters who do look after their dogs but I class them in the same category as the perpetrators of maltreatment, since they stand back and do nothing. And also, in the UK, the majority of people who fox hunt are not wealthy upper-class people, but people who work all week to keep their horse. Some do not own a horse and just hire one from livery to follow the hunt. I am an anti-hunting person whatever the animal and have taken part in protests against it in several places. Thank you again for reading and commenting. Beryl