Save the Galgo – Stop the suffering
Hello my friends here you have some photos of the protest which has taken place today in the centre of the city in Madrid “Against galgo and other type of dogs hunting”. It was a success, there were hundreds of people among them, several galgo rescue organisations , animal welfare orgs and also three political parties, Podemos, Pacma and Equo.
As for the official media, I think we have been put to silence except for the digital site “infolibre”.
Regular readers will remember that in March 2013 I published my ‘Letter to the Galgueros’. After the news of Fermin and the meetings with the FEG, I sent him a copy of my letter. He will be publishing it on the Scooby website and will also be forwarding it to his galguero contacts.
So I thought now would be a good time for us all to send a copy of the letter to the galgueros, since the mass abandonment and dumping in perreras is worse than ever and has not let up in the past 18 months. Figures now are certainly 120,000 galgos ‘disposed of’
Two nice stories – Many of you responded to the appeal to fund food and medical care for Estrela, a galga owned by an alcoholic Portuguese hunter, who had 3 puppies which he was intending to drown. Thanks to the efforts of Teresa Sousa and her team, Estrela was rescued, along with the puppies. One of the ladies who contributed towards the fees for Estrela has been accepted for her forever Mom. Last week Estrela arrived at my home for a temporary stay en route for the UK.
And the story of Fallera, a beautiful white galga which an old man used to walk past the Scooby Residencia Valladolid. He lived in an apartment and kept the galga in a garage. Cobie of Scooby eventually managed to persuade the old man to give Fallera to Scooby and she was recently rehomed in Italy.
Last month a galga found herself in the Metro in Madrid. You can read the story here.
Two pieces of news, which came up whilst I was stuck in the UK with hardly any computer contact.
Gala is a beautiful young galga found in a field in Andalucia with two deliberately badly broken legs – the left front and the left back – so she could not possibly get up and walk anywhere. Left by some bastard Spanish hunter to die a long and lingering and painful death. Luckily she was discovered and El Amparo took her to their vet where their vet operated on her to pin her legs back together again. Here are some before photos, and an incredible after video where she is walking with her legs splinted.
Three galgos – one starving and desperately needing help.
This one is Magilla, a big male Greyhound, which was collected from street by the police, in poor condition all frightened, trembling, with bad pintilla, and it seems that they bleed the legs in the kennel! He needs toleave urgently, if anyone can help, in a town of Toledo. (This is where we’ll miss Baas Galgo and Leticia), contact: adopcionesasha@gmail.com
www.ashaprotectora.es
One of the things which really angers me – and I know it angers the Spanish volunteers – is that the municipal councils really don’t care about the stray dog problem. They provide council killing stations, as well as the privately run ones like Olivenza in Badajoz. I’ve received a letter from a Dutch supporter, Anita, who recently spent a couple of weeks volunteering at the privately run shelter in Cuenca,in the middle of an area full of hunters, between Madrid and Valencia. Here’s what she wrote.
‘I volunteered in the Cuenca refuge for about 16 days and was really in shock the first days. There are so many dogs and they never come out of their kennels. Among the dogs are many many galgos, some of them are afraid but they are never aggressive.
Look at this! 3 months old, on the street with a broken leg! The association desperately need somewhere for her to go before Wednesday, in the Madrid area, where the traumatologist and volunteer foster are. The association will be responsible for all fees, adoption. It’s just a short-term temporary home. She’s called Ayira. Contact adopciones@ashaprotectora.es
www.ashaprotectora.es
You may remember earlier in the year I posted the story of Voyka a young galgo found abandoned, who had co-ordination problems with walking, possibly as a result of a blow to the head. This is an urgent appeal for an adoption for him, to save him going back to the kennels. There was an adoption application but, after extensive research, it was not deemed the right home for him. Because of his physical problems, he needs a really special home, with another dog, where his disability will not cause a problem. This is the report from Lourdes, who has him in her care.
White galgos were always considered the ultimate by the Spanish aristocracy, and here are two beauties in Madrid, needing forever homes. Kendra is stunning with her different coloured eyes, and little Aroa was found alone on the street! Here are their stories.
AROA – the police took Aroa and her little brother Arati off the street in a village near Madrid where they had been wandering for several days, looking for food. She is in foster, good in the house, with children, with other dogs and cats and, being only 5 months old, playful.