From Anne Marie Payne. ‘To those of you that don’t know Grace and her story, She is a 10yr old galga who after wandering around in the campo for 3 months was finally caught by Lydia Jay who took her to the hospital for assessment. She was extremely dehydrated, malnourished, covered in tics and fleas. and full of worms. Last Chance Animal Rescue stepped in at this point, took her under their wing and put her in foster with me. Once her blood tests were done which revealed she had Leishmaniosis, and also we were not happy with her breathing we took her down to Curro who did a complete examination, Her teeth were in an awful state and, she had a large ulcer on her gum. But the biggest shock after doing x-rays was that she had lung cancer which had spread to other parts of her body. I couldn’t hold it back and cried.
Tag: adopt a galgo
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Last Chance Animal Rescue, Malaga – a galga’s story
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Pepi’s Dog Refuge visit September 2016
I recently spent a week at Pepi’s Dog Refuge where I took the money raised from my Fun Dog Show to help pay some of the vet bills. The weather was baking hot, temperatures over 40 degrees, so the dogs spent a lot of time sleeping in the cool of their kennels. The roofing is special material which keeps out the rain but also keeps out the sun, provided by Anpana association in Italy.
On the day I arrived, we visited the vet. A podenco puppy had been found injured on the road in the village and xrays had been taken of his broken leg. The vet asked Pepi’s to take him. His leg was in a splint as in some cases with young bone, the injury can heal itself, new bone can grow. The pup was named Vero, he’s an adorable little chap and no doubt when he has recovered, he will soon find a forever home.
Another young podenca bitch is quite an escape artist and able to climb out of her kennel to spend her days in the corridor run! She too arrived with a broken leg which has healed perfectly.Saturday was an interesting day!
Hunting with podencos starts Saturday evening and finishes Sunday lunchtime. During that time there were several hunters, each with 4 or 5 dogs mostly podencos, hunting rabbit amongst the olive groves. There was great concern on Saturday evening when one walked on land in front of the refuge greatly upsetting the pepi’s dogs. Behind the house he fired off his gun, narrowly missing the corner! Hunting is prohibited within 150 metres of property. When the hunter saw us all he scarpered, leaving behind the dead rabbit. Alan Brian called the Guardia (gamekeeper) who said he would have a word with the hunter. As Alan said, it’s likely the hunter could be a relative of his! Also, as elsewhere in Spain, if they complained to the Guardia Civil, it is very possible they would find their refuge dogs poisoned or stolen. Hunters are very vindictive.
Sunday morning saw another hunter approach the house, 2 dead rabbits hanging from his belt. With him was his Podenco, Braco (brown & white pointer) and a small rough-haired dog of dachshund type. He is the local butcher in Pedrera and told us he had found the little dog and kept it. Sadly later in the day there was a young podenco running around, obviously lost and left behind by his hunter. We left water out for him but he had disappeared the following day.
I also saw a couple of vehicles ‘training’ the galgos …goodness knows how far the poor dogs were being made to run in the searing heat! In the Pedrera area they are used for coursing, not hunting. Jane remarked that no doubt one or two of them at least would be dumped at the refuge gates during the winter.
Sadly when I left on Tuesday morning, Pepi was having trouble breathing and was taken to the vet for oxygen. She was rescued from the piggery opposite the refuge and, even with a heart problem, lived with Brians for 16 years. She will be greatly missed by Jane and Alan but her legacy lives on in all the Pepi’s dogs rescued and rehomed.
Pepi’ Dog Refuge survives solely on donations and fundraisers. Money is currently needed for microchipping and castration of some dogs in preparation for travelling for adoption. If you can help in any way, please do. Without Pepi’s Dog Refuge, the dogs of Pedrera area would face a terrible life.
Introducing Vero and some of the other current Pepi’s incumbents, every one waiting for their forever home.
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Portuguese galga and puppies – rescued just in time
Galga Riti was rescued from the street so heavily pregnant that she gave birth soon after to two gorgeous puppies. Viddy and Viggy will need forever homes when they are old enough, vaccinations, microchips etc.
Lumi is another galgo pup lucky to have been rescued with his galga mom from poor conditions. You can read the story here and watch the videos of him at play with his sibling.
The only hope of a forever home for these lovelies is outside of Portugal. Please contact Dogs of Portugal if you can help.
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La Bienvenida, Ciudad Real – Stunning Galgo Hairo seeks forever home
My very first galga Karmel was from La Bienvenida refuge in Ciudad Real, 200km south of Madrid. I travelled down with the team of L’Europe des Levriers to collect her, along with a dozen more. I wrote about the trip for the Weekly Telegraph and that was also the birth of Galgo News.
This stunning boy is at La Bienvenida now. He’s Hairo, he was skeletal when rescued but is now looking much better. Here is his story.
Hairo arrivedon 30th Junhe at the shelter, it’s another waste more of the hunt among many so many. What can we say about him or his state that you can’t see in the video?
Needless to say, he’s too thin, you can see the spine and all the ribs, he looks like a sack of bones. He was full of ticks and very dirty, has some wounds but they are not serious. He soon had a nice bath and stayed on good and clean. The poor boy very much appreciated the attention and filled us with kisses. In spite of his state, is a young galgo, very affectionate and happy. He just wanted to eat and lots of cuddling. -
Seville – cheap accommodation available in the campo
Rosario de la Guia tells the story of this rescue – an all too common one about an abandoned galga who gives birth to pups.
Look at what we did to rescue this galga and her pups. In the field in a few bushes hidden. For 3 days carrying food and water 3 times a day. We caught them as we couldn’t leave them to die of a heat stroke. We found an urgent foster placing but we need to welcome them also for adoptions for when they stop suckling. They are in Seville. There is an adoption contract and follow up.
Contact Harris Garcia and Rosario or gmail nochelinda49@gmail.com
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Dogs of Portugal – 2 abandoned galgos looking for forever homes
These 2 beautiful galgos were found abandoned. Click on the links to see more about them and their videos. Please contact Dogs of Portugal direct if you have room in your home and heart for one or both of them.
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Galgos in Portugal needing forever homes
The galgos in Portugal have a terrible life. Regular readers might remember Estrella, her ‘husband’ and son who were all rescued from nightmare conditions. This is another beautiful galga rescued from similar conditions, along with 3 of her 7 puppies – the ‘owner’ kept the other 4. If anyone can offer her a wonderful forever home, please contact the association.
These are the puppies.
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Peaceful Protest for Spanish Hounds – 1st May 2016 in London, Manchester & Glasgow – photos
Early in the year when I read the Spanish Royals were to visit the Queen at Windsor and I contacted my friend Polly Matthewson of Podenco Alliance about it, suggesting a demonstration, I had no idea how it would grow. So thanks to Polly, Martin Podman French of Podenco Support South West, Dawn Karen Walker (Manchester March) and Irene Allen (Glasgow March) for taking up the idea and developing it to the marvellous day we all had on 1st May 2016 publicising the suffering of the Spanish hounds and showing what marvellous pets they can make. Herewith my photos from the March in Manchester – sadly it rained but didn’t dampen the spirits and we handed out lots of leaflets about the plight of the Spanish hunting dogs. (Spot me on the left holding the big banner!) The London organisers handed in a petition to the Spanish Embassy and also No 10 Downing Street.
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Duathlon, 19th March 2016, Clumber Park, Nottingham – Sponsor Team Pepis!
Pepis Dog Refuge in Pedrera, Seville, has an outstanding vet bill so far of nearly 4,000 euros! That includes sterilization of dogs (the first thing to be done with the arrival of each new dog, to prevent unwanted puppies), vaccinations, dogs needing operations, medication…the list is endless.
It’s desperate that this bill is cleared and to that end Ellen Stevens and 2 friends have entered the team event in the Duathlon at Clumber Park, Nottingham, on 19th March 2016. If you look on the Youcaring link below, you can read all about it.
Please sponsor Team Pepis and share widely with family and friends. Let’s raise the total and more if possible.
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Scooby rescues 50 more hunting dogs in Castilla-la Mancha, Spain
50 Greyhounds and hounds from Castilla La Mancha…
In a few weeks the hunting season with galgos will come to an end and that means that now already shelters and perreras are completely full with galgos, discarded by their owner who just considers them a bad working tool and nothing more…
Scooby will take the next couple weeks hundreds of galgos and podencos in to save them from being killed in a perrera or waiting for years and years in shelters because nobody adopts them.Sunday the 10th. of January we had to go to pick up some 50 galgos and podencos in a shelter in Tomelloso were every day a few galgos are brought in by their loving owners or mostly, are just thrown over the fence.