Galgo News

Return to the Wild - catching an escapee

At the end of the Spanish hunting season in January, hundreds of galgos are abandoned every year, and many of them resort to living on their wits to survive.

It can take weeks, sometimes months, of patient work by volunteers before a dog is finally caught and taken to a refuge.

Not all of these dogs cope with the change in situation, and if they then travel to another country and are put in a domestic environment, it can be even more traumatic, and their first instinct is to escape again.

One such dog recently arrived in France.

Fostering a Dog

There are always appeals for foster homes for dogs, but many people are hesitant to volunteer because they are afraid of becoming too attached to the foster dog, and not being able to let it go to a new home.

Certainly there are risks involved, not least of which are the tugs at the heartstrings! But it is really extremely worthwhile and rewarding, and it gives a dog more of a chance of getting a permanent home, whereas it is less likely to happen in a refuge.

One of the main advantages is that it enables the foster dog to be assessed.

What is its attitude to other dogs? Can it live with cats? How does it cope with boisterous children? Can it be toilet-trained? Could it live as the only pet, or does it need another canine companion? What sort of things frighten it?

Living with Leishmaniosis

There seem to be many misconceptions about dogs with leishmaniosis, and living with a dog who has tested positive with the disease.

Flora's adoptant, June, took the galga on knowing she has tested very positive. Here she explains what is involved in looking after Flora.

By the way, to see Flora, one would not know she had any disease! She is an absolute picture of good health!

Filaria - what is it?

The third disease which galgos and podencos leaving Spain are tested for is filaria, or heart worm. As this is a far more serious disease than leishmania and ehrlichia, it is rare for a dog testing positive to be accepted into the adoption programme.

The blood test is done on the dogs as part of the vaccination and microchipping programme prior to the dog obtaining its Pets Passport. As well as the passport, the dog also leaves with the results of the blood test, so prospective owners know if there are any further tests to be carried out.

To read more about filaria, visit www.menandpets.com/en_filaria.htm

Leishmaniasis

Before galgos and podencos leave Spain for fostering and adoption abroad, they are blood tested for three diseases, Leishmaniosis, Ehrlichia and Filaria.

For full information about Leishmaniosis, www.leishmaniasis.info which is the canine leishmaniosis website. This website also gives details of the medicinal products needed to treat the disease.

I have asked someone who adopted a galgo with leishmaniosis to write about their experience with it.

Ehrlichia - what is it?

Before galgos and podencos leave Spain for fostering and adoption, they have a blood test for three diseases, Leishmaniosis, Ehrlichiosis and Filaria.

Ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne rickettsial infectious blood disease. The organism is called Ehrlichia, the disease is called Ehrlichiosis.

Brown Dog Tick (must feed a minimum of 2 -3 days to transmit). The tick can come from horse manure and other unknown sources.

Also transmitted from the deer tick, blood transfusion, contaminated needles/instruments, transplacental.

Visit www.workingdog.com/doc0045.htm to learn more.

Adopting a galgo - Part IV - questionnaires and visits

You will almost certainly be asked to complete questionnaires about your home circumstances, you life style, your other animals, your family etc.

Please don't consider this intrusive...the organisations who ask for this are just doing their job to ensure that the rescued galgo is not being taken from the frying pan and thrown into the fire.

Equally, if someone comes to visit you, please don't feel insulted. It is standard practice.

Joanna Simm explains why.

Adopting a galgo - Part III - Fees

The fees requested for the adoption of a galgo or podenco are another area that can cause discontent among would be adopters.

People may feel, quite justifiably at first, that they are offering to take in an animal who is unwanted who needs a home, who may have problems, medical or psychological, and feel a little 'miffed' that they are also asked to pay a fairly large sum of money.

There are several reasons for the fees that are charged for an adoption.

Adopting a galgo - part II - neutering

Almost all rescue organisations will ask that the galgo or galga you adopt be neutered if it has not already been done prior to the adoption. There is a reason for this, and a very good one too.

The problem in Spain that causes these poor dogs to be so abused and abandoned is caused by over population, over breeding. certain areas of Spain are literally so full of galgos that there is no chance of homes for them.

Why neuter?

Adopting a galgo - questions to ask yourself

For many of us who have heard of the terrible plight of the beautiful Galgo dogs in Spain, adoption is an idea that we have embraced as something we can actually do to help.

Most of us do not have a massive disposable income, so donating significant amounts of money is not possible, and we look for other ways to help.

So, can we offer a home to a galgo? Some questions to consider.

Adopt a dog - but are they all suitable for home life?

Spanish galgos, like greyhounds, can make wonderful pets and dozens of galgos are rehomed by rescue associations. The associations have to rely on the volunteers working in the Spanish refuges to assess the dog’s character, test it with other dogs, cats, etc. Sometimes they get it wrong.

Whether or not a dog is suitable for rehoming depends to a large extent on the treatment of the dog before it arrived at the refuge. Most of them are rehomed without problems, apart from having to be toilet trained! But some of them need rehabilitation before being suitable for a forever home.