Save the Galgo – Stop the suffering
This week Scooby added 3 more galgos to the hundreds they have waiting for forever homes. Here’s what Cobie writes.
‘Cobie Steketee
So, at last all the surviving dogs from the shit hole perrera from Mairena have been taken out of that hell. From what I understand it was a big chaos, somebody opened doors from cages and with an open gate at that time, some 30 dogs escaped, it seems that still some galgos are running free there in the neighbourhood.
With all the horror stories recently, it’s lovely to receive a heartwarming story of two galgos who found their forever home in the heart of Kathryn and her husband. Here she tells Gracie and Jake’s Story.
I first found out about galgos seven years ago when I was reading about rescue dogs on the internet. I came across the Greyhounds in Need website and read all about the galgos. I had never heard of the galgos and their plight and what I read was heartbreaking. I thought that my husband and I would be able to give a galgo a good home and contacted GIN to say that we were interested.
We had a home check and GIN said that we were suitable. They had some galgos coming across from Spain and they would be in quarantine in the UK and we could visit them.
If you are handy with a paintbrush and have a few days holiday to spare, Scooby need help with painting their new kennels. Cobie says, ‘Today we´ve started painting the dog kennels inside. One is finished, another 47 to go…So, if you like to paint, you´re more than welcome to come over here!’ Contact Scooby direct.
Why am I here, on death row? What did I do wrong? I bear the scars from serving you well, Senor Galguero, even though you starved and beat me. What did I do wrong?
You did nothing wrong, you were simply born a galgo in Spain – from the moment of your conception, you were doomed to a life of hell unless someone with a heart could rescue you!
More galgos on death row in Hellin, Badajoz and Mairena perreras.
Look at this – 3 months old abd already on the street! Here’s the appeal.
”This galguito is left skeletal in a street of my people(village). It trembles with fear. It cannot continue in the street but I already do not have anywhere to put any more dogs. I take him food and water every day so that it does not move of the place and the neighbors will be hanging but nobody wants to receive it to me. Please, a protector who gathers it, I prepare it and send it where it is. it is very urgent as you can see. it is a preciousness(loveliness) and it is undernourished(malnourished). I will give him also the pills for desparasitarlo. it is very very urgent please.
CONTACT: aracelisanta@ono.com‘
You may remember that earlier in the year I posted about Maria Teresa and the Baeza refuge. The sister of a wonderful galgo supporter has now created a website for the shelter, and donated her time and expertise to them. Here is the result.
The shelter is still searching for volunteers for the following tasks:
1. translate the content of the website into French
2. taking photos of the shelter and of the dogs for the website
This news came in in Spanish on Friday, but I’ve had to ask my friend Marisa Perez for translating, thank you Marisa..
From Macu in Seville –
Hi, I write you from my desperation. I want to kill someone!!!
I went to the settlement to take some pictures and I saw this galgo. Alone like excrement. Everybody wanted to keep him far away, but he wanted to come near us. When I saw him, I felt my soul to break.
I say to him, ‘nobody has tried to treat your skin, you only wanted some food and water and only found kicks and laughs about your aspect. All those stupid men called me fool for taking you and put you in my car, to hug you and tell you that now you are not alone.’
It’s time to run another letter-writing campaign to the Spanish national and provincial governments. Thank you to Dioni del Rio for this translation. Please copy and paste the letter into a word document and post. This link takes you to the list of addresses for the recipients – the national government – Prime Minister, Ministers of Tourism, Environment, Sport, Interior, all in Madrid, Andalucia, Murcia, Extremadura, Castilla la Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Balearics, Canary Islands, Valencia, Basque. The relevant addresses are highlighted in bold. You’ll need 15 copies of the letter if you write to them all. I’m beginning to get replies to my letters, so someone is reading them! Please join in, the galgos and podencos desperately need your help.
It’s always encouraging when the Spanish speak out against the galgueros. I was sent this link – by le Bulletin des Levriers – to a very interesting article about the galgueros, written by a Spaniard and translated into English. Here is a link to the third article – interesting photos but not yet translated. I’ve asked for the link to the first article as I have not been able to find it.
Now the freezing snow and icy weather is behind us (hopefully) we can look forward to Spring and think about holidays. Many people like to do more than just sit on a beach, and Vivienne Wharton has some suggestions. She lives in the Ricote area of Murcia in eastern Spain and has become very involved in the plight of abandoned dogs. She has linked together many rescue associations and volunteers and even got involved in protesting at a bull fight last month!
Many shelters and refuges offer accommodation to people willing to help with caring for their animals and Vivienne is co-ordinating help in her area. You can read about the holidays here.