This is Ruso with his forever family in America. Ruso was discovered in Los Infiernos refuge in Murcia by Tina, a volunteer. Unbeknowst to her, he had lain for four or five days severely injured and in great pain, unable to stand, feed himself……..as soon as Tina discovered him, she took him out of the refuge, where the owners were intending to kill him, and through contact with Silvia in Valencia, he was transported to her centre for treatment by her vet and rehabilitation by Silvia. What a fantastic story, thanks to everyone involved, including Tina who prevented Los Infiernos from killing him, Silvia and her vet for his rehabilitation,to Greyt Friends, Inc., in Marietta GA who travelled to Spain to bring Ruso to the United States and fostered him until he was ready to move to his new home in Colorado and also GRIN. A happy ending for one deserving survivor of the annual massacre.
I don’t know how the volunteers and associations in Spain keep their stamina and emotions, I am getting more emails in this year than ever since Galgo News started in 2007 and I am sickened by the sheer volume of galgos in perreras, abandoned in the street, hung from trees, kicked and stoned, abandoned to be injured on motorways……..it is simply unbelievable that the authorities in Spain remain blinkered about how this affects the international perception of Spain.
Here are some more stories……….help if you can.
We regularly have galgos and podencos to stay overnight at our home in France, en route from Spain to their foster and forever homes. I love them all, but once in a while there is a special one. My husband took to this handsome chap on the rescue last weekend (19/03/2011). This is QuiQue, a magnificent rough-haired galgo, full of life and just craving for his forever home. Sadly we couldn’t even foster him as Floyd, our French lurcher, doesn’t like other large male dogs. QuiQue had been in a refuge for a year, if you can offer him a forever home, contact L’Europe des Levriers.
And don’t forget my foster galga Risa, also looking for her forever home.
Every day I receive emails from Spain, galgos and podencos dumped, abandoned, injured, or hunters taking them to the perreras to be killed or to the shelters and threatening to kill the dogs if the volunteers don’t take them. Day in and day out, the pressure is never ending. I have lost count of how many dogs I have been told about in Jerez, Gesser, Mairena, Cordoba, Seville, Malaga perreras. Last weekend I drove down to the Spanish border and, along with a couple of other cars, brought back 20 galgos and a couple of podencos…many of them are now in foster and awaiting forever homes.
Here are a couple of the latest appeals
Sickening story of animal abuse but, at the same time, heartening if the perpetrator is brought to justice and severe penalties inflicted on him. Story received today from Baas Galgo.
A man confessed to having hanged his greyhounds because “it was the custom to do so at the end of the hunting season”. The animals had a microchip, which helped to locate the culprit. This case is being investigated by the court of Torrijos and the hunter faces a prison sentence.
This beautiful galga is Risa, about 14 months old, taken to the Jerez killing station by her galguero in December 2010, to be euthanaised along with dozens of other dogs. She was rescued on Christmas Eve with 3 other galgos, one just 5 months old, by 112carlotagalgos. She is now in foster at my home in Western France, looking for her forever home.
She has her EU passport, is microchipped, vaccinated, sterilized, negative for Mediterranean diseases, and the results are awaited for her rabies antibodies blood test for possible adoption in Britain – although she is clear for adoption elsewhere in Europe now.
Every day more horror stories come in from Spain, abandoned, injured and starving galgos – and the hunters still deny it goes on! Three appeals for help, if anyone can squeeze any of these dogs into a shelter or foster home, please contact the people direct.
1. Galgo rescued by the Association AYANDENA in Seville, the greyhound is more dead than alive, with horrendous injuries to his hind leg, flesh is missing down to the bone. He urgently needs care, need help with veterinary costs. Irene Alcayde de Lamo
