Galgo News

  • The end of January draws near……

    Visits to my family have meant Galgo News has taken a back seat for a couple of weeks, but that doesn’t mean galgos have been out of my mind. I am very conscious that the end of January draws near.

    Galgos suffer terribly at the end of the hunting season each year in January as the galgueros (hunters) do not want to keep their dogs the nine months up until the beginning of the next coursing/hunting season.

    Hence they are slaughtered by hanging, burned alive, mutilated, dropped down wells, impaled, a silent violence in the countryside. On one occasion 40 carcasses were seen in one afternoon round the small area of Medina. Figures of more than 8,000 galgos killed at the end of a season have been quoted.

    Please publicise this as much as possible, and ask everyone you know to add their names to the petition sites listed. We all need to speak up to pressurise the Spanish Government to end these horrendous practices.

    Click on any of the association sites here if you wish to see pictorial evidence of this torture.

  • Noel – not a Christmas decoration – Noel has now been adopted

    NoelWe hang Christmas decorations at this time of year. The Spanish hang dogs. This is one who was lucky enough to be found still alive, which is a miracle.

    He allowed his rescuers to cut the rope, and remove the assassination cord from his neck without a whimper. His wounds are being treated by caring volunteers. His crime? To be born a Spanish galgo.

    When hunting ends in January there will be dozens more cases like this, many of them will not be found alive.

    He has been christened Noel. He is now looking for a forever home. Contact Cristina at GalgosIn Fronteras if you can help.

    Join the campaign to stop this barbaric cruelty. Click on any of the website links in the right hand column and find out how you can help.

    The galgos need all the support they can get.

  • Introducing Noa – Noa has now been adopted

    NoaNoa is a black galgo of about 3 months old. On 22nd December he suffered a road accident, knocked down in Palencia, left on the tarmac with no help offered, not even from the local animal protection society.

    Luckily Amigos de Milord learnt about him and he was taken to a hospital in the city where his pain and injuries were treated. He is now with an orthopaedic traumatologist.

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  • Gemma, another galgo saviour

    GemmaGemma works with Sonia and Caridad, helping save galgos and podencos and find them permanent homes abroad. This is her story.

    Gemma spent the first 27 years of her life being afraid of dogs, until her sister bought a cocker spaniel. So to find her heavily involved with galgo rescue nowadays is a far cry from her youth.

    About 5 years ago, at the same time as she adopted her first street puppy, Gordi, she went on the Internet and discovered other people wanting to help the Spanish galgos, refuges and shelters desperately needing help, and rescue associations prepared to transport galgos and podencos out of Spain to permanent homes elsewhere.

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  • And another

    http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/peticion-against-cruelty-to-galgos

    Another petition, this time from PETA, can be found here.

  • Another petition to sign

    Here’s another on-line petition for you to sign, and send details on to all your friends.

    Don’t be afraid there are no horrific pictures on the petition, those are available through a forewarned link.

    http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/tortured_spanish_greyhounds

  • Sonia, doing her bit to help

    Albergue refugeSonia is a volunteer at the Albergue refuge. Her family did not really care about animals, but Sonia always tried to help the street dogs, feeding them.

    She discovered the refuge by accident and began helping there. She also discovered, on the Internet, websites of other refuges and realised she was not alone.

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  • Caridad – coping against all odds

    Villarobledo refugeWhen I see pictures like this, I reflect on the dog rescue centres in the UK. I feel very humble when I think what Caridad copes with every day. What do I have to complain about?

    I pray that, especially over the Christmas period when people are celebrating, eating too much, and giving presents other people don’t want, someone will give Caridad a gift for her shelter.

    This is Villarobledo refuge, northern Spain. Once there were 104 dogs living here! Now there are 32. The cages are not safe, as you can see.

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  • Looking for a forever home

    SariTwo beautiful dogs, being fostered by Cristina de Luna, are looking for forever homes.

    Cristina describes Sari, a young galgo bitch.

    The galga is very young and has gone through hell (….me too). She was found on the street, run over by a car. She has had four operations. We tried to save her front leg but it has been impossible and it was amputated two weeks ago. We spent a long one and a half months trying every alternative.

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  • Cristina – another unsung hero

    CristinaWhen I joined a galgo rescue mission earlier this year, I met Cristina, an amazing lady and one of the incredible people who work ‘on the ground floor’ in Spain, to try and help galgos. Here is her story.

    I don’t think those of us living outside Spain can imagine the work Cristina does and the situations she copes with.

    Born in Madrid, of German/Spanish, she qualified with a degree in Marketing and Commercial Management. She works in the import of pharmaceutical raw materials, and her passion is her horses, dogs and cats. She grew up with cats rather than dogs, so used to ‘borrow’ the neighbours’ dogs to walk them.

    As time went by, she got to know the ‘underworld’ of the galguerros, and the sad life and mistreatment of their galgos.

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