Susanna has sent me some more information about the problems for the volunteers of the Province of Granada trying to deal with the massive abandonment of dogs from that reagion, and in particular highlighting the Podenco Andaluz.
This is what she writes.
'I think it is a problem of culture. The Podencos are not known by the majority of Spanish persons. The people use them only as a hunting dog. In the reality the Podenco Andaluz is a guardian and a fantastic pet too!
I want to tell you that the Protectora de Granada San Francisco de Asis is the most important in Granada becasue they have poor abandoned dogs from everywhere in the Provincia of Granada. However,they have a bad period because they do not have many volunteers,and they are really volounteers (they don' earn money). They have not time to put much information on the web site.
They don't make international adoption directly.
They are in contact with some associations in Granada to make the international adoptions but unfortunately there are some dogs that are going to stay in the associations for long time, or all life long. These unlucky dogs are in the majority Podencos (wire haired podencos) and some galgos too.
The Spanish don't consider them AS PET!
Sometimes the owners (pricipally hunters) lose them because the Podenco is a dog that will go away if he is maltreated. Sometimes people abandon them. They are the dogs of the simple people, hunters ....ignorant persons and persons that have problem at home .....and....so on.
So the Protectora de Garanda try go save these (and not only these) poor mix - dogs . They have only 10 days to stay there, then they must find the association that can take them and then to prepare and give in adoption, principally abroad.
The Podenco and the galgo espanol are not so well known in Europe. In fact you can see that the Podenco Andaluz is a NON recognized breed by the FCI although it is very very similar dogs Cirneco dell'Etna or Pharaoh Hound.
They are very sensible dogs, they must stay always near its owner. They are fantastic PETS, they are not only hunting dogs, but the majority don't know their character. In Spain they leave them alone for a long time, shut up, waiting only for the hunting period. So their character changes and they try to go away but usually meet a horrible end. It is a pity because they are precious dogs - they are guardians and good and sweet pets.
The hunters abandon principally male podencos because they don't use them in hunting. They use principlaly female because they are more calm to hunt together.
To know more of this ancient breed that is the PRIMITIVE TYPE (the old fashioned galgos), the anchestors of OF THE GALGO ESPANOL, of the Basenji and Canaad Dog. You can ask me because I know a breeder that has them and he is looking for good people that can really give a good home to the dogs and the respect that they need. The breeder is BIZARRO and the breeder is a famous person. They don't give their dog to stupid persons.
There are serious persons in Granada too, but they are so far!
Now the associations that collaborate with the Protectora don't have any adoptions so they cannot save anymore dogs from the protectora.
It is a really bad moment for them although the adoptions of other dogs go abbastanza well.
One of the associations that is trying to help the Protectora de Granada has a President, named Maite, who is a fantastic person but alone. She has not time to stay on the Internet all day long because she has the same problem as Angel (Angel is the Director of the Protectora San Francisco de Asis, the coordinator) . They don't receive much money to save all the dogs, so I try to ask to sensible persons if they want to donate, to make a little gift becasue they need food, collars, antiparssitari, medicines and they need money to buy them and to make all the things you know that are necessary to save a dog and to make a brochure to give informations to the population not to abandon dogs.
The Protectora doesn't make international adoption itself, it is only by the associations that are more serious. They are very very little associtions so they cannot have enogh money to "prepare" the dogs for the travel, for the medicines, vaccines....and all the things that other larger associations have. They cannot spend money to neuter or to do some medical examinations, so they don't know if the dog will have an adoptant.
I know very well the Director of the protectora de Granada and the President of one of the Associations that collaborate with them. They are very serious persons and with a lot of culture too, but they are in the South. THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE DOG IS THE REAL PROBLEM. They are in the South, 900 km. from Barcelona.
I don't know what to tell to the director. Excuse me contacting you, it was only to tell you that if you can do something to help them to find new adoptants or people that want to go and meet them and that are serious persons.
Please try to tell that they are looking for persons that can pay the trasportation or that can can help them with a gift....or that want to establish a long collaboration, that they are looking for associations that want to go there and are interested to speak or to find new solutions.
The kennels of the protectora is good but it is very very cold cold in winter. They need coats for the dogs that need to stay warm (galgos and podencos)They have cats too.
I hope that if persons know the podenco andaluz and galgos as pets they will be interested to have one as a family component. I hope one day people will respect all dogs and cats and all animals, not only use them as
objects.
To donate:
There are different ways to help animals
If you have free time you can be a volounteer, you can collaborate in different activities of the association.
You can become an ordinary member (see the section “how to join with Spap) , your entrance fee will help in raising the activities of the association and you will benefit of all the services we offer to our members.
Look the section “How to be an ordinary member”.
You can make gifts or find persons which want to donate. Giving is an incredibly efficient way to support the SPAP.
You can find friends like you who make one or monthly gifts that provide a consistent, reliable income stream, allowing us to focus more resources on our lifesaving programs, and less on raising the necessary funds.
CAJA GRANADA
BIC-SWIFT CODE: CECAESMM031
IBAN: ES81 2031 0234 81 0100054868
Ciao!'
So if there are any associations willing to help the Protectora de Granada and thereby these small refuges/associations of which Susanna talks, who quite obviously are desperately short of everything to help their dogs survive on a daily basis, please get in touch with them as a matter of urgency.
And please let me know if you do.
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