The way animal rescue associations criticise each other really gets me angry! Here’s a post I wrote on my Save the Galgo facebook page.
On Saturday, 11th October 2014, I was pleased to be a part of the demonstration and publicity in the Trocadero, Paris, organised by Galgos Ethique Europe, illustrating to the general public the beautiful galgos who were there as ambassadors for their breed, and telling of the dreadful maltreatment they suffer in Spain at the hands of the galgueros and gitanos.
Today is a sad day for me
A while ago I reported on the story from Macu in Seville, where she took a poor galgo with no hair, from a gypsy encampment, where everyone laughed at him and told Macu she was stupid for taking him. He’s now in the care of L’Europe des Levriers and there are some beautiful photos of him on this link.
A translation of the story so far.
Beatrice Monnet, President of L’Europe des Levriers in France, has been working in galgo and podenco rescue from Spain for about a decade. In 2006 she founded EDL and it has since gone from strength to strength. I have been on many rescues with her and what I saw and learnt provided much information for my book. Here is a video of the dogs rescued in February 2012, some of them you will see are galgos in Jerez perrera which were featured on Galgo News. One poor boy lost his paw, caught in a viscious snare; two of them had filaria (heartworm) but have responded really well to treatment.
Where it says ‘accueil’, that means the dog is in foster and available for adoption. The two white galgos live near me in France, and I will see them next month for my 3rd Dog Walk.
L’Europe des Levriers is the French association from whom I adopted my 3 galgos and with whom I have worked on rescues. This is the story of the gypsy camp of Las Cuadras in Seville, as told by their President, Beatrice Monnet, on their website. At the end of this report, you can see a video of the Fundacion Benjamin Menhert on one of their rescues – 600 dogs taken out of the camp in one year!
‘Since its inception in 2006, L’Europe des Levriers has repeatedly denounced the terrible camp galgueros Las Cuadras in Seville. Cristina, our Vice President, regularly rescues galgos and podencos from this hell. We go to our kennels in Madrid every 3 or 4 months to bring these rescued dogs to France for adoption.
This galga was rescued, injured and suffering from hunger, thirst and the scorching sun for three days on a building site in Madrid. She was rescued by a veterinary student. UPDATE – Sadly just learned that Olivia did not make it, sadly she died. But I leave here story here for you to read. Olivia (as she was named) had a broken hip and a leg!! Veterinarians wanted to kill her, her injuries were so bad.
Do you remember the story of the hanged galga saved by Letitia and taken to the home of Cristina, vice president of L’Europe des Levriers? Here is the latest news about her.
She is now called “Campanilla” (Bell in Spanish) and she lives in home in Cristina in Madrid. It is the poor galga who was hanged and Leti found wandering the streets of a village near Toledo. The rope had cut her neck under the trachea and she was suffering from severe malnutrition. The veterinarian of Toledo did an excellent job of repairing her wounds to pepare her for transporting to a Madrid clinic where Cristina could look after her. She remained there a week and last Monday she went to Cristina’s home.
The ever resourceful galgueros are always coming up with ideas of how to maltreat their loyal and long-suffering galgos L’Europe des Levriers reports on two cases which will make you weep for the pain these poor galgos suffered.
A miracle – recently two galgas managed to find their way to a shelter while they were dying. No doubt attracted by the smell of the food for the dogs, they walked a long way, under extreme suffering, relying on their survival instincts.
a light-hearted note – we went to a dog show last weekend. foster dog bracken won ‘best hunting dog’ – his uk passport is ready early september – and sahara and i won ‘dog looks most like its owner’ – poor sahara limped into the ring wondering why her leg was bandaged!
bracken was rescud injured by galgos del sol, sahara was saved from the cordoba killing station by l’europe des levriers – both under 2 years old at the time.
(still typing with one finger!)
Here are the photos of the Toledo galga who had chewed through her foot to escape a wire snare. The flesh was being attacked by maggots. Some of the photos are not very pleasant, but rest assured that she had the best of veterinary treatment and is now in foster care. Please donate to the vet fees which L’Europe des Levriers are paying. Click here and go to Faire a Don at the top of the page. You can donate by Paypal
