Category: Uncategorized

Here’s the latest update on Sofie, the abandoned galga whose jaw was savagely broken. You will see she is now able to take liquid food orally, rather than through the neck. She has to have a second operation, where some bone will be removed from her ribs to rebuild her jaw. What amazing veterinary care.

This is a list of some of the hunting federations in Spain. Contact with them is largely only by email. I have searched the websites for contact names and addresses, but not found any for these. Can anyone in the areas supply me with the information, please?

http://www.galgoes.com/ andalucia
http://www.federacionandaluzadegalgos.com/ andalucia
http://www.galgosmadrid.com/ which is Federacion Espanola de Galgos and Federacion Madrilena de Galgos

At the end of the day in a perrera in Spain – whilst the method of euthanasia was probably the cheapest, and painful, at least they will not have to suffer any more.

And this isn’t the fate of just Spain’s abandoned dogs – it is the fate of thousands of dogs throughout Europe, including Croatia, Turkey, Serbia, Romania. I am receiving appeals to post petitions about this on Galgo News, but I can’t help them all – this journal is chiefly about the galgos and podencos.

THe European Commission and individual member states HAVE to deal with the problem at source, which is strict control of breeding of all dogs, and a mass neutering programme.

The Gift of Life is the greatest gift, and the gift of the love of a dog is second – it is unconditional, no holds barred, whatever is done to it.

A beautiful piece of poetry received today – a beautiful animated drawing accompanied it, but that is copyrighted, so I’ve put my own pic here.

Here in this house… I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks
of the other dogs ‘out there’.

I can sleep soundly, assured that when I
wake, my world will not have changed. I will never know hunger, or the fear of
not knowing if I’ll eat. I will not shiver in the cold, or grow weary from
the heat. I will feel the sun’s heat, and the rain’s coolness, and be
allowed to smell all that can reach my nose.

(more…)

For those of you who live far afield and have not visited Spain, or for those of you who have visited Southern Spain in search of sun,sangria and sea, this is a story of the REAL Spain.

Driving back from Spain to France along the E05 towards San Sebastien, we stopped off at a petrol/parking/grill centre, literally just at the side of the motorway. The parking was busy with cars and a few lorries.

We parked close to a car where there were 4/5 20-somethings – rasta hair,revolting low-slung jeans (who the devil wants to look at their pink bum cheeks!) – and tatty clothes.

Remember the Andrex advert and the golden labrador puppies? Well, imagine one of those but with long curly fluffy hair, BUT THE SAME SMALL SIZE.

(more…)

Spain is the only country which still allows hunting with galgos/greyhounds. The annual massacre of these beautiful dogs is about to begin, as the hunting season draws to a close. Their hellish existence is now about to move on to their unbelievably cruel destruction by the hunters – who sadistically inflict pain and torture on those who cannot fight back.

The galgos’ dear friend Charl wrote this very moving appeal

Señor Galguero!

Señor galguero, I sat waiting and waiting today as time passed and my hunger grew. You never came, even though we who are here fear your footsteps. You may just bring us those crumbs of bread which we all have to fight for, even though we wish there was enough for us all.

It’s cold in here tonight and the floor is damp, I cannot sit and I cannot lie down but for you, my master, I will wait in the cold and feel the hunger. When I saw you last you came and took my mother, I still await her return but she just has not come back. I don’t understand, Señor Galguero, for I am a good galgo and I try my hardest.

Read on

Just to say, folks, that if you sometimes think the headings to my posts are a bit obscure or strongly worded atall,it’s because the headings contain keywords which the Search Engines pick up. So when I put anything about ‘holidays in Spain’, it’s because I’m after getting to people searching the Internet for holidays in Spain, and they get Galgo News too!

Here’s goes again!!

Just wanted to share this lovely verse with you, sent by Pat Getz

Grow Old with Dogs

As I am growing old…….I wear soft gray sweatshirts and a bandana over my hair, and I spend my social security checks on wine and my dogs.

I sit in my house on my sofa and listen to my dogs’ breathing. I will sneak out in the middle of a cool night and take my dogs for a walk, if my old bones will allow.

(more…)

As if the Spanish shelters, refuges, volunteers, associations working for the poorly treated animals of Spain didn’t have enough to cope with, now they have storms, and floods and tornados. There may be some amongst you who will not agree with my question, but I say

Where is God, to look after the innocent animals
Where is St Francis of Assisi to look after the innocent animals?!

Don’t tell me they are looking after these animals!

2009 has been an amazing year for Galgo News. The number of readers has increased considerably, which means we are all getting the message about the plight of the galgos in Spain spread far and wide. We’ve had responses to some of our letter-writing campaigns, and we’ve highlighted the extreme cruelty inflicted, not only on galgos, but on all of Spain’s dogs. And we continue to praise and support the associations and volunteers who work tirelessly at the ‘blunt end of the wedge. One day, if we all work together, we WILL make a difference.

Thank you all for your interest in the stories on Galgo News, and please spread the word, the galgos and podencos especially need everyone’s support.