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.
More than 50 galgos have been rescued, including two litters of puppies, living in a garbage dump in Ontigola, Madrid province, covered in wounds, scabies and terrified. Thanks to a neighbour who denounced the situation, 6 rescue associations have taken the dogs. It took all afternoon to catch them and transport them to safety. They all need vet care, medication, blood analyses, castrations. Then they have to be rehabilitated in preparation for adoption.
Associations involved ALBA. SOS GALGOS. ACURN. NOAH’S ARK. SPAPS. RIVAANIMAL
Contact is carolalbaasociacion@gmail.com or hocicosyhuellas@live.com
Regular readers will remember the story of Tico, the galgo badly injured and left for dead in a ditch in Seville Province. Luckily he was found and taken to the vet where the incredible team, together with dedicated round-the-clock care from Sandra Campos Cuevas, brought him back to life and put his poor injured body back together. Over the months it was thought he would never walk, never be without nappies because he was incontinent…Spanish vets more than any others work tirelessly to save these dogs…where certainly in the UK and here in France they would be pts.
I’ve just watched THE most amazing video – sadly only on facebook so I can’t share it with you – of Tico, no nappies, running and playing with two canine friends. Simply incredible. Sandra reports Tico is very happy. The bad news is that once again he has urine infection. It appears that the use of diapers, this problem will always end up appearing. So he needs some antibiotics again. This time at least, it has been 12 days without bleeding. It’s nothing serious … I think it’s an everyday thing for us.
Here’s a photo of Sandra with Tico. And I stick 2 fingers up at you, bastard galguero, who couldn’t take care of your hound and prevent his suffering!
The galgueros will always continue to deny any of them maltreat their dogs. There are a few who do not but they are as guilty insofar as they do nothing to prevent the majority who abandon, murder, starve their hounds. I have copied this from a post on my Save the Galgo facebook page.
Trying to sell a distinction between killing and disposing of Galgos.
The galguero federations across Spain have become very active in defense of the claims that galgos in the tens of thousands are abandoned and brutally abused and killed at the end of each hunting season.
There is no love like a dog’s love – unconditional – no human can match it. This is the story of Zara, a beautiful white galga with blue eyes who, after living with her galguero for 6 years, was taken by him to Scooby Valladolid as he didn’t want her any more. She was heartbroken; Cobie couldn’t comfort her. Here’s Zara’s story as told by Cobie.
Poor Zara, the beautiful white galga with her bleu eyes, who cried so much after her owner left her here abandoned in a kennel. She kept on crying and crying, even got very angry with me. I managed to put her in a kennel with 3 galga friends which she liked very much but she kept on crying and biting the fence to try to escape and find her owner.
So I called him and asked him to come and see her, and he did, the same day, with his wife and child. And what happened then is almost unbelievable. She was so happy, it brought me to tears. She was the happiest dog in the world and even let me touch her without any problem which before was impossible! She also let me put an anti flea and tick collar round her neck. They stayed almost an hour and have promised to come back to help her adjust to being somewhere else, they did not offer to take her back of course which also was expected…!
But since that visit, Zara changed rapidly, I can touch her as much as I want, she takes treats from my hand, does not cry or try to escape anymore, it´s amazing. So, sometimes we´ll have to collaborate with the galgueros for the wellbeing of the dogs, even that he had not noticed her biggest problem to adapt in a strange surrounding during the 6 years that Zara belonged to him, namely that she is deaf…!!! He didn´t know!
A FEW DAYS LATER
Amazing Zara. She jumped over a fence from 2.30 mtr. high with sharp points without having a scratch. We made a new piece on it so it´s impossible, we hope, to jump over it again.
She was seen at 10 o´clock in the evening in La Victoria, a busy part of Valladolid with a lot of traffic, people, bars etc. At 12.30 in the night she was seen walking in the middle of the highway direction Zaratán where she was born and happy with her galguero. This person tried to catch her but did not succeed.
In the morning she was at the place of the galguero’s father who caught her and called the phone number on her collar which was mine, and he called his son who also came to see her. The rest is known. I went to collect her and bring her back to Scooby Residencia where I live.
How special is it when a dog after 7 weeks here, escapes and finds her way to a village some 10 km. further. A way she had never walked or travelled before. How did she know to go right or left on whatever point? Is this true love, dedication? She risked her life to find her loved ones but she found them! She must have walked almost all night because after coming back here, she slept the rest of the day and the night and also this whole morning without opening her eyes, so tired…!!
I think she deserves a statue in honour of all abandoned dogs because Zara showed us how much they suffer and how it hurts…!’
If you can give Zara that special home for the rest of her life please contact Scooby.
Tribute to Zoe – by Charlotte del Rio
Dear Sr.Galguero
I was sitting here with my thoughts, looking back over time.
Just a mere girl I was at your feet, the foot that booted me regularly. I wondered when the day would be, when I’d be free from the shame I felt.
I wandered by your side Sr.Galguero as a good galga should and on many occasion I know you thought you broke me. You almost did!
At just a year old I’d been born into hell, I knew nothing more than the life I led. Shamed, doomed, and hollow. Fear striking me at every move. How I lived on my nerves .. Oh how I did.
112carlotagalgos was recently asked to take 8 galgos in a poor state from a gypsy camp. There were also podencos there, which Bev Farmer in Murcia has taken in. Charl’s thoughts as she prepared the night before husband Dioni set off to collect the galgos. Duke, to whom she refers, was saved by Portugal Dog Rescue and is with Charl for rehabilitation and learning that life can be good.
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.
And another poor galgo needing help, with another small shelter in Seville.
This young galga has been named “REGALO” (gift in spanish), she was found with a badly broken jaw and a severe infection. She has been taken in by the shelter La Candela Hogar Refugio near Seville and is in Malaga at a vet hospital with strong antiinflamatories and antibiotics.
‘Ariel Sarabria, our veterinary expert in trauma has operated on Regalo. He managed to implant the prosthesis and nails to knit the bone to return it to function and enable Regalo to open and close her mouth, to give her the most normal life possible.
