Here are figures from Galgos 112 on abandonment and killing (including in perreras) of galgos and podencos. and a couple of videos of their work.
100,000 galgos and podencos abandoned every year
75,000 galgos and podencos killed every year
Galgos112 takes care of an average of 50 galgos and podencos every month
Galgos 112 manages close to 600 adoptions every year.
Earlier in the week I told you about 4 galgos rescued from abandonment by a galguero and now with Ciudad Animal Association. The shelter desperately needs help, this photo is what the volunteers are coping with now hunting is finished for last season.
‘January, February and March feared the hunting season, and today ending April we are full again, every day we receive a lot of warnings and emergencies for our area, having to say no to many… but also making a huge effort To attend to those cases which are more urgent and where the life of the animal is in danger or is wounded.
If there are warnings on the streets in La Mancha, imagine what is in the kennels of our surroundings… all the cases we see every day of which we can save some but how many stay on the road.
I am a Dog!
I feel emotions, just as you do. Just like you I feel Love, I feel Fear, I feel Pain and Joy. I also feel Grief!
I am not born knowing how to fit into your life. I will sometimes get it wrong. Sometimes I will not understand what you expect. I may fear things or act in a way you don’t understand. I may not understand how you are acting, or that strangers to the home mean no harm. I may not know what is acceptable to play with and what is not! I have to be taught these things, just as you had to be taught as a child.
I am an individual, and just like you may not fit exactly into your expectations.
Please teach me. I like to learn. I like to please. I love to be loved.
Just because I may make mistakes please don’t discard me.
I should not be an ‘until’ dog. I should be a forever dog!
Just like you, I feel Love! I feel Grief!
At long last the dreadful Canidrome in Macau, China, will close its doors and over 6oo greyhounds need to find forever homes, may of them from Ireland and the UK. Read the story here, please share and donate etc to help.
As you know, for over 10 years I have publicised the plight of the galgos and podencos of Spain and fundraised for several rescue associations. In latter years David and I have fundraised and supported Pepis Dog Refuge, Pedrera, Spain, as Jane and Alan Brian coped with up to 80 dogs dumped on them by the locals. They have both suffered ill health, Alan with heart problems, Jane with back problems, but the dogs always came first. Last September they decided to ‘retire’ and not to take in any more dogs.
Last week Jane suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed into hospital. Rachael Lepaege has rehomed many Pepis dogs in the UK and is taking the remaining 9 Pepis dogs this week. This is going to cost thousands and so along with my fabulous galgo Polar – a Pepis dog – I am asking all my friends here to donate something…no matter how small an amount…and share this appeal. Here’s Rachael’s message.
Severi, another of the beautiful Portuguese galgos dumnped at the end of the hunting season, now looking for a forever home, contact Dogs of Portugal direct if you have room in your home and heart for him.
News from Scooby. ‘At the end of February Fermin and Christina drove to Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucia, and saved there 44 galgos from a certain death. 30 From them came to the Scooby residencia in Valladolid. They are, very beautiful and elegant males but very scared, humiliated, abused, robbed of all their dignity, but alive. Broken, but not defeated. They will need time, understanding, patience and lots of love and fortunately, we have lots of all that and we will make you whole and proud again…!’
Here is the latest news from the Scooby Blog…makes sad reading that for all the work the shelters do, the over-breeding and mass abandonment of these majestic hounds does not stop.
Sasu is another of the stunning black beauties dumped at the end of the hunting season and now safe with his friends in the Dogs of Portugal shelter. You can read about him and see more pix on this weblink. Contact Dogs of Portugal direct if you can offer him a forever home.
One man’s trash – another person’s loyal friend
Although galgos in Portugal are not bred, used and abandoned in the number they are in Spain…it being a smaller country, they still suffer the same abuse as the Spanish ones. This stunning black beauty is one rescued by Dogs of Portugal. Read about Saaga on and if you would like to offer her a forever home, contact the association direct.
Some years ago I worked with a volunteer in Portugal to save a galgo family from a drunk and abusive household. We saved them all and Estrela came to me in foster and went to a forever home in the UK. This is the original story.
Podenco Friends takes podencos but they will not turn their back if a situation arises for galgos from a local galguero. Here Bev Farmer comments on these 5 they took in.
‘The five galgos handed over from the galgueo have quickly adapted to a new routine and apart from Halcon who is still a little nervy they are all comfortable with people. Although they didn’t live a life of luxury from where they came from, credit due to their owner for handing over these dogs in reasonable condition, apart from Cameron who needed surgery to remove a couple of lumps. These 5 galgos are very fortunate they will never know the fear of been handed into a perrera or at risk on the road getting badly injured.
For these five lucky ones, there are thousands more whose fate will be very different. Daily reports coming from rescues of galgos found severely injured from road traffic accidents, just left to die or needing life saving surgery at significant cost, not to mention a long recovery period.
