The temperatures in Scandinavia, especially Finland, are very different from Spain, especially for the thin-coated galgos. Here’s a story about the Finnish association which rehomes galgos, Kodittomat Espanjan Koirat ry. Kati explains.
Kodittomat Espanjan Koirat ry – The Homeless Dogs of Spain association in English – was established in 2006 by Miia Marjamäki, the president of association. Within the past 6 years the association has found new homes from Finland for over 2000 dogs.
Many of the Spanish refuges and associations are very small, existing from month to month on donations, the local councils turning a blind eye to the problem of abandonment of dogs, even though by law they should provide a dog pound.
112carlotagalgos is one such small association in Malaga. Charl del Rio has been working on behalf of the galgos and podencos in Spain for many years, latterly caring for traumatised, injured and sick dogs prior to rehoming. She’s also given talks in local schools about the problem of abandonment of dogs. Her dream has been to have an educational centre where children can visit and learn to respect animals and care for them, especially dogs. Now she hopes her dream is about to come true. But she needs your help. Here’s the story.
Interesting post on my Fb page Save the Galgo -SPCA Vereeniging confiscated 22 Greyhounds and the animals were in such a bad way that 7 were “humanely put to sleep” and the rest were GIVEN BACK to the owner!!!!! SPCA Vereeniging wrote that the owner who was caught in the act would be prosecuted. ‘When Greyhound Rescue SA asked questions ‘we were deleted from the wall of Vereeniging SPCA. https://www.facebook.com/spcaver?ref=stream
They have also deleted all my posts and questions from the wall – We have a right to know what happened to those Greyhounds’. (I’ve asked the question myself – see if I get a response. )
From Cobie at Scooby Residencia Valladolid. This poor little galga named China was brought to the Scooby residencia by a galguero because she is obviously very sick. Surely she has leishmaniosis, very much hairloss over her whole body, long nails on her feet which makes walking very painful for her, her eartips completely bare, her back and tail almost bare and a look in her eyes which makes you want to cry for feeling so sorry for her.
The galguero injected her with all kinds of stuff and gave her tablets, God may know which ones, but of course, that did no good to her so he wanted to dispose her.
Vivienne Wharton works hard with the dog rescue associations in Murcia, to try and improve the situation for abandoned and maltreated animals there. This is her website, just launched. Please join the group and support her in her efforts. Here’s a link to her previous article.
Mama galga and 7 puppies at great risk on an industrial estate in Seville – somewhere urgently needed for them, to get them off the streets. Contact lolidalo@gmail.com or aranchavarea@gmail.com (Arancha speaks English)
Some galgos are lucky enough – if you can call it lucky to survive several years at the hands of a galguero – to reach 7 or even 10 years of age. They desperately need to live out the rest of their lives in the comfort of a loving home, and here are three.
Elsa and Maika are particularly sad stories and an example of the hypocrisy of the Spanish authorities. Siblings, rescued at 3 yrs by a lady and taken into her home, 7 years later they find themselves in a shelter. With so many abandoned dogs living on the streets of Spain, it’s hard not to want to help them, and this is the situation in which Elsa and Maika’s Mom found herself.
Those of you who have read my book will know that I mention how difficult it can be for animal rescue volunteers to work – when local people against them and their work – and especially if they make conplaints against acts of animal cruelty – take retaliatory action against, the volunteers, their families, their homes, cars…and in this case their dogs.
Pepis Refuge, near Seville, has become the latest victim of just such an horrendous and sickening act. Read about it here.
The drive down to Seville from Valladolid was expected to take about 6 hours or so, so I’d bought a box of Lee Child audio tapes to help pass the time during the long drive. Much of the countryside through which the motorways pass is flat and barren – the land burnt brown by the scorching heat of the sun – broken up spasmodically by a narrow range of mountains topped with wind turbines, or massive solar panel farms on the plains – Spain is certainly ahead of France (where I live) in alternative power sources. The UK can’t compete as they simply haven’t the land mass.
One very noticeable difference from my previous visits to Spain was the lack of movement on building work – new roads part completed – now void of cranes, earth movers, building materials, silent and static – huge apartment blocks simply left as empty concrete shells, ‘se vende’ or ‘se alquila’ signs everywhere. (for sale and to rent). Clear evidence of the recession.
