Save the Galgo – Stop the suffering
From Plataforma NAC
Tanja tells her story
‘I am a veterinarian and have always wanted to work with rescue dogs. For years I have wanted to adopt a galgo and after my elderly dog died I had an opportunity to finally offer a home to one. Since I have a lot of rescues as patients I was able to spread the word that I am willing to adopt a galgo who might have physical/emotional problems.
After a few months I got an email from Espanjan Koirat, a rescue organization in Finland adopting dogs from Spain. In that email was a picture of a black and white galga, lying on a concrete floor in her food dish. She was emaciated, full of scars and looked very traumatized. And within an instant I had made the decision, this would be my family member.
It was only after a while that I was able to track down the recent history of my Ishtar.
People say the figure of 50,000 galgos abandoned every year is exaggerated – usually it’s the hunters who say so, of course, as they don’t want the bad press. Vera of Galgos en Familia, Malaga province in southern Andalucia says, ‘Co-inciding with the end of the hunting season at this time of year, more than 5.000 galgos are abandoned by hunters in our province.
It is estimated that 1,500 galgos are collected each year from the streets of Malaga province and the majority of these from the valley of Antequera, where they are used as tools to capture hares,a hunting activity that is banned in other european countries but is still very much allowed here in Spain.
Please everyone, your help is still needed to stop galgo racing in Malaga. 112carlotagalgos and Galgos en Familia are pulling out all the stops. Here’s an update from Charl del Rio.
‘As we know galgos are used as “renta” dogs not pets! Therefore this gets passed off as Cultura Agriculture department. No-one wants to take responsibility to answer. Due to the welfare of the Spanish galgo and the fact that no other carrera de galgo has been held at the hipodromo in Malaga or any other in this area, they are duty bound to give information regards who placed the race there and if there will be permissions to give further races. They need flooding with emails.’
Appalling news from Malaga – the greyhound racetrack reopened on Saturday, 16th June 2012!! A couple of weeks ago Charl of 112carlotagalgos spotted a poster about it in a vet clinic, and couldn’t believe her eyes. Her association and Galgos en Familia already have more than enough abandoned galgos to cope with, without breeders, owners and trainers being encouraged to contribute to the over-population.
You can read about it here, and you will find a link to copy and paste a letter to emailto print off a letter to send to those responsible in Mijas. To send by post, print off a copy of the letter and send to this address.
AYUNTAMIENTO DE MIJAS – TENENCIA DE ALCALDIA DE LA CALA AYUNTAMIENTOS: INFORMACION Y SERVICIOS, Ctra. Cádiz, KM 200 , 29649 , CALAHONDA-CHAPARRAL , MIJAS COSTA (MALAGA)
THIS HAS TO BE STOPPED!
Greyhounds Rescue Holland article about the plight of the Spanish galgo at the hands of the hunters.