Galgo News

Author: Beryl Brennan

  • UPROMA – working on animal welfare in Murcia, Spain

    Pedro-José-Moratalla-Moratalla 250A report on 2 more of the speakers at the PAES International Conference in Murcia in October 2015.

    Pedro José Moratalla Moratalla has a degree in Computer Systems Engineering. He is involved in environmental and animal welfare issues, issues on which he has received training over time and has continually joined different national and international volunteering programmes.

    Pedro joined the Local Police of Castellón de la Plana in September 1997 and since then he has developed different positions at the Police Units of Traffic, Public Safety and Emergency Service. In 2012 he presented a draft project proposal to set up a specialised unit on environmental and animal welfare issues which was approved. The new unit, initially called Blue Patrol (now UPROMA – Environmental & Animal Welfare Protection Unit), under Pedro’s management, started working at the very beginning of January 2013 and he remains at its head today.

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  • Galga Kira – victim of a hit and run – please help with the vet bill

    Lynn galga 5 250This is a story which could happen to any of us. Lynn Pauloudros does a lot of work helping galgos and podencos from her home in France. She now finds herself – through no fault of her own nor that of her galga – with a huge vet bill. She is running an auction on facebook to raise funds to pay for the treatment for her galga, but I am appealing here for help for her too. Please, if you can help, donate to her here.

    Lynn explains. ‘I rescued Kira from Olivenza perrera, she is about 7-8 years old. She had to be operated on when I got her in 2014 because she had been shot with a shotgun and the wound never healed. There was a pocked of pus under her muscles and half her tail had to be amputated. She also only has 3 toes on a front foot.

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  • Victims of the thunderstorms hitting southern Spain – seeking refuge at Pepis

    Galga podenco 250 1 11 2015Horrendous storms battering Andalucia this week, including Pepis Dog Refuge. These are the latest arrivals at the gate, Jane Brian tells the story.

    ‘1/11/2015 – This may be an unusual combination but these two seemed to have teamed up together to keep each other warm due to the heavy rain and thunderstorms we had last night, it was one hell of a storm. We found them soaked and looking very sad and gave no resistance to being helped. Both females and so lovely. Drove them back to the refuge, dried them off and gave them a meal. They are now in a pen with soft bedding to warm them, safe and cosy from the rest of the bad weather we have forecast.

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  • November 2015 – Domestic Violence Awareness Month – linked to Animal Abuse

    PAES Dr Nuria 250Dr Nuria Querol i Vinas spoke at the PAES conference on the subject of Animal Abuse and Interpersonal Violence and often it can also be linked with psychological problems too – abusers will maltreat those weaker than themselves. Abusers may use animals as a lever in situations where a woman (and children) have escaped him (it’s usually a man in Spain) and they are threatened – if you don’t return, I will kill your dog/cat.

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  • How many galgos/year born in Spain?

    Australia greyhound racing stats 250

    For ‘greyhounds’ – read ‘Galgos’

    For my talk at the PAES Conference in Murcia in October 2015, I presented estimated annual figures regarding the uncontrolled overbreeding of galgos. These figures are conservative and they are by no means to be taken as firm; it is quite likely that the numbers are even greater.

    Back in the early 1990’s, a friend of mine who was a Daily Mail staff photographer, was visiting the Castile-la Mancha province. His guide walked him into an olive grove where he photographed the olive trees, most of which had a dead galgo hanging from them, which made headlines in the paper.

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  • Speakers at the PAES Conference – pix

    Herewith pix of the speakers at the conference, not in any order.

    Amalia from the Murcia Veterinary College tells the audience how important it is to get vet reports right for denuncias and for obtaining nucleo zoologico licences.

    PAES Pedro 250Pedro José Moratalla Moratalla spoke about UPROMA, the first police unit to be set up specifically to deal with animal welfare.

    Núria Querol Viñas told us how there is nearly always a link between violence/mistreatment against humans and against animals.

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  • PAES First National Conference Murcia, October 2015 – report and pix

    PAES delegates 250First National Animal Welfare Conference leads to closer cooperation

    Seventeen guest speakers addressed an audience of representatives from many Animal Welfare Associations at the three day National Animal Welfare Conference, PAES, held in Los Alcázares, Murcia October 16th through 18th.

    They had been gathered together by three Associations – Cruz Azul, ACTIN Spain (Animal Care Treatment International Network) and SAS (San Animal Santuario) – for the purpose of finding synergy with others concerned about animal treatment here in Spain.

    Lyn Baines, President of Cruz Azul and organiser of the conference, was overwhelmed by the interest not only of the speakers but also the attendees.

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  • Torrevieja – Animal Protection councillor appointed – every town should have one!

    From Irene Allen of Last Hope Dog Rescue.

    Torrevieja Perrera is my local dog pound and has been criticised along with many perreras in Spain but Torrevieja I have been saying is one of the better ones not perfect in any way but better than most.

    We have a new councillor of Animal Protection who is determined to change the perrera for the better ,It will now be known as The Alberque Municipal and before the vet was never to be seen apart from microchipping and then she would turn up at her own time as I well know hanging about to get a podenco chipped from there.

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  • Galgos and Podencos demonstrate in Madrid against the Toro de la Vega

    73 photos of t-shirts work at the the Manifestation in Madrid on 4th October 2015
    when hundreds of people demonstrated against the vile Toro de la Vega where a magnificent bull is chased by dozens of sick men on horseback with long lances which they thrust into his body till he drops…

  • Help feed all the galgos at Pepis Dog Refuge, Seville

    Can you help feed Lupo and all the other galgos at Pepis Dog Refuge. Help here or donate by paypal