Category: In the media

Scooby to help them to a better life. Scooby English news blog.

This video is of galgos with their owners – ask yourself, are some of these the men who perpetrate such cruelty on their dogs – if not them, then their friends…

No doubt there will be some who read this article by Fermin who will disagree with the proposition. One way of trying to change the attitude of the galgueros is to work with them, to encourage them to improve the life of the dogs whilst in their care. And to at least ensure that not all their dogs end up abandoned and in perreras, starving, sick and injured.

During my visit to Valladolid last year, Cobie and I spent many hours discussing this issue of her caring for galgos during the ‘non-hunting season’ at the Residencia. There were young galgos not yet old enough to hunt and also half a dozen owned by a gitano – he travelled around Spain in his work for 3 months at a time. He asked Cobie to keep the dogs in the kennels – for payment – whilst he was away. He had no one to look after his dogs otherwise.

At the time, Cobie told me Fermin was extremely unhappy about the arrangement.

Whilst I was there, the gitano and his friend arrived to exercise his dogs on open land opposite the kennels. Much as I abhor the treatment meted out to thousands of galgos, these dogs were very faithful to their master, ran free but were obedient on recall.

I, like Fermin in his article, believe that there are times when associations/shelters should work with the galgueros, to get across the message that it is the hunters themselves who have to change the situation for their dogs – as they are the ones who create it.

For those of you who may disagree strongly with Fermin, please remember he is one of the most experienced of people as far as the plight of the galgos is concerned. He does not make these decisions lightly. And please do not turn away from helping Scooby – at the end of the day it is about the dogs.