Argentina and Chile both use galgos for hunting. Every year, more than 500 greyhounds are abandoned in Chile after being exploited in racing and hunting. Galgos Chile have been working since 2018 to rescue, rehabilitate, and rewrite the destiny of greyhounds in Chile. Because they didn’t choose their past, but you can choose their future. You can be part of their rescue and give them a loving home.
This is the story of Galgos Chile, translated into English if your computer doesn’t automatically translate the Spanish.
‘December 2017 The Rescue that Changed Everything
Merlin: The First Heartbeat of Hope – It all began with a skeletal greyhound tied to a tree in Quilicura. Merlín, with prominent ribs and dull eyes, looked at us as if to say, “Will you come save me?” That look tore at our souls. We took him home, but his body was so weak that the vet warned us, “He has three months to live.” Merlín, stubborn and brave, clung to life… and taught us that love can conquer even the cruelest abandonment.
April 2018 – The Rescue That Brought Us Together as a Pack
In Lampa, Metropolitan Region, we found more than 20 greyhounds locked in rusty cages. Some had broken legs, others could barely stand. It was a day of tears and anger, but also of hope: for the first time, volunteers from all over Chile came together to take them to foster homes. That night, we knew we were not alone. Together, we were stronger than the pain.
September 2018 – A Family Called Galgos Chile Foundation Is Born
After months of sleepless nights and broken hearts, we achieved something great: becoming a legal foundation. We had no money, but we did have an army of bright-eyed volunteers. Our first headquarters was a borrowed garage in Villa Alemana. There, amid boxes of medicine and donated blankets, we vowed: “No greyhound will ever run again out of fear.”
2023 – Merlin Departs, But His Legacy Lives On
Merlín left us in July 2023. The dog who was supposed to live only three months gave us six years of mischief, naps on the couch, and lessons in resilience. His death hurt like losing a child, but his story was already unstoppable: thousands of Chileans carried adopted greyhounds in their hearts. Today, Merlín is not a memory. He’s a symbol that love conquers pain.
Today – A Network of Love that Crosses Chile
We’re no longer a garage. We’re a network of foster homes from Arica to Punta Arenas, veterinarians who donate their time, and children who ask for ‘a greyhound like Merlin’ instead of a birthday present. Every adoption, every complaint, every donation is a thread in this giant blanket that shelters those no one wanted. And you… will you knit with us?