Galgo News

  • April & Paul Carrier, the rehabilitators

    April and Paul CarrierApril & Paul Carrier like the sun and they get plenty of it in Rota, near Cadiz, where they have their home, the Alpha Dog Centre. They describe it as a summer camp to some, boot camp to others and a sanctuary to galgos.

    I talked to them about their involvement with galgos, and how it all came about.

    April starts the story. ‘Our initial contact with galgos was when we received a call from a customer, Hailey, who asked us to board a litter of galgo puppies over the Christmas period of 2001, and then we were asked to board the puppies’ mother till a home could be found for her.’

    Hailey told them the story of a refuge in Villamartin, near Jerez, which was where the galga had been when she was rescued. She asked Paul to visit it with her and, accompanied by a couple of local vets and some volunteers, they went to see if at least some of the galgos could be treated, and the lives of the dogs improved.

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  • Thank you for the euros!

    The fundraising pre-Christmas lunch organised on 2nd December by the Deux-Sevres (79) group of l’Europe des Levriers’ raised 1615 euros and more donations are still coming in. This is a Thank You from the EDL president to everyone who helped

    FUND RAISING
    I enjoyed very much to be with you at my first fund raising. Thank you for your help and be sure that this money will be well used. We raised 1615 euros : this amount will save approximately 10 galgos !!! Thank you for them. They deserve it so much ! Béatrice from L’europe des Lévriers

  • 8th December, walk in Spain

    AdanaHere’s an idea for fundraising, if there are any readers in the Estepona area of Spain on this date, it’s not too late to join in.

    There is a two day walk from the ADANA Perrera to the (Crestelina) Casares Refugio and back.

    We will start the walk on Saturday 8th December at 11:00 from the Adana perrera and walk approximately 15 kms to the Casares Crestellina refugio with at least 10 dogs.

    We will sleep overnight at the refugio, and then the next day we will walk back to the perrera. Each walker must bring his/her own sleeping bag, food and drink for the entire two day journey.

    We will have a support vehicle to carry all the walkers’ equipment for most of the way. Unfortunately for the last 2kms of the way, each walker must carry his/her own stuff from the vehicle to the refugio. This is a mini adventure, and adults and children are invited to participate. The walk will be mostly in footpaths but a small section will be on theroad. Each walker must take AT LEAST one ADANA dog. You can bring your own dog, AS it can socialise with ADANA dogs.

    Please contact Paul on (0034) 699 026 129 to reserve your place on this mini adventure.

    Saludos Paul Agius, Webmaster de ADANA www.adana-estepona.com

  • Letter from Spain

    As always, searching on the Internet for news about galgos, I found the following letter on Inland Trader, a Spanish website. I have their permission to reprint it in Galgo News.

    The Spanish Galgo has to be one of the worst treated animals in Spain.

    It’s time to make a stand and say we “animal lovers” have a voice on their behalf, and we’re here to help and fight to stop this cruelty. While the Galgos brothers and sisters in other countries struggle as a breed, it’s by far the Spanish Galgo who suffers a brutal life and the cruellest death.

    The Spanish Galgo is kept in the most horrendous conditions imaginable.

    If a Galgo falls into the hands of a “hunter” its fate more often than not is decided before it’s started.

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  • Why do they do it…….

    FranIntroducing Fran, only 2 years old, rescued when she was tied under a lorry by the gypsies.

    Passion Levriers are looking for a loving home for her.

  • No life for a dog

    ChencoChenco, living rough on the streets in Spain. He’s been there for at least 4 months, dodging the traffic, covered in sores, being fed by local volunteers who are desperately trying to catch him and save him.

    Passion Levriers are supporting the volunteers.

    To add your voice to the thousands of others who are trying to stop this cruelty, visit their website or any of the other galgo rescue associations in the right hand column or sign the on-line petition.

  • Humo and Ebano – the story continues

    Puppiesaudefrom Joanna Simm

    When I said I would foster Galgos, those wonderful dogs so badly abused in Spain, I didn’t really expect that my first fosters would be babies!

    I collected them from Deux Sèvres, where I’been to the L’Europe des Levriers fund raising lunch – not exactly a 10 minute drive down the road, as I live near Carcasonne in Southern France! I knew that if any of the newly rescued dogs had no homes arranged, I would be bringing them home with me, but it was quite a surprise when I was handed these two lovely babies…

    Ah, the patter of tiny paws! It’s been a while since I had such little ones around the house, and I wondered how long it would take them to settle in after such a traumatic start to life, and the long journey out of Spain.

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  • A couple of the lucky ones

    Galgo puppiesWe’ve always preferred to adopt adult dogs, the thought of cleaning up after puppies doesn’t enter into my scheme of things.

    So when I learnt there were two puppies arriving for an overnight stay on the next rescue from Spain, I had to ring round friends to find out what to do. Almost like being a new parent panicking about how to look after the baby.

    Two dog cages and copious towels duly arrived chez nous, along with, not two puppies, but five! Ha! Bit like when I went into hospital to have one baby, and two arrived at the same time.

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  • Gorgeous Gordon

    GordonGordon is a very handsome, pure white galgo, found wandering the streets of Badajoz with another galga, both miserable and very thin.

    He was rescued and delivered, by van, to the home of Cristina, a volunteer with a rescue centre south of Madrid. She remembers his sad, honey coloured eyes as he came out of the van. This lovely lady fostered him for five months, restoring him to full health and teaching him his manners. He apparently would not tolerate cats at that time, hard to believe now as we watch him curled up with our rescued kitten.

    After a false start with another adoptant…

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  • A Word from Anne Finch

    Anne Finch

    in the beginning there was darkness but now there is more light… but we still have a long way to go

    I applaud Beryl’s new venture here in France to create an English language website with continuing news of the galgo situation in Spain. Awareness of the plight of the galgos of Spain and their rescue, has come a very long way in the last 10 years, thanks to all of you.

    Here’s how it began…It was the plight of the imported Irish greyhounds which in 1991 drove me to go to Spain to investigate and try to improve their conditions at the tracks in Mallorca, Valencia and Barcelona.

    I had to spread the word abroad urgently as, due to the UK’s animal import laws, I desperately needed some sympathisers in mainland Europe to take in the discarded greys for adoption…a cumbersome task before the days of the internet.

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