Galgo News

Michala Bandier - founder of Galgos in Need Denmark

For 10 years Michala lived in the south of Spain, and it was in fact the horses, that took up most of her spare time.

Almost daily she went riding in the mountains, but on her way she passed through many farms and could not help noticing all the dogs running around or being kept under poor conditions, locked up in old ruins or hidden from daylight in workmen’s huts.

Galgos Sin Fronteras - meet the President

Sandra Baas, of Baas Galgo, recently interviewed Cristina Garcia Moreno, President of Galgos Sin Fronteras, who has been involved in helping the galgos of Spain for more than 10 years.

This is her story.

My name is Cristina García Moreno. I am president of the association Galgos Sin Fronteras. For more than 10 years I have noticed the hell in which galgos live who were so unlucky to be born in Spain. I have seen the most terrible and unjust situations that one can imagine, against one of the most wonderful races, the galgo.

Meet Marisa - another saviour of Spanish hunting dogs

Marisa's Story: I'm a volunteer with Sofía El Refugio Escuela, in Seville. Since I was a little child I have had a special love for animals.

Since the moment I've been able to help them actively, I started helping at a temporary dogs home and after that I found Sofía, and so I help also as a volunteer in the refuge.

Thanks from Caridad

I am always overwhelmed by the generosity of of some of the readers of Galgo News.

A while ago I wrote about Caridad, a Spanish volunteer who looks after over 30 dogs on her own, in one of the poorest of refuges.

Carlota - a very vocal campaigner in Spain

Whilst researching the Internet for information about galgos in Spain, I came across the website of this amazing lady. She's British, married to a Spaniard, with 3 children and adopted animals, all living in a bi-lingual home.

Here's her story, in her words.

Well what can I say, my name is Charlotte, I write and publish as Carlota, I'm 34 married to Dioni a Spanish man, and I have 3 children, Sofia 5 Sebastian 12 and Neizan 2. We live in a bilingual home, and we have 2 dogs, one a galgo adolescant, one an 8 year old little dog, and 2 cats a bengal and a burmilla. All adopted.

I have always been animal orientated and as a child very aware of the dangers animals faced at the hands of man. At 11 I can remember my Dad always telling me "Charlotte, anything important should be written on paper!" So, thats where I began.

Gemma, another galgo saviour

Gemma 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.

Sonia, doing her bit to help

Sonia 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.

Caridad - coping against all odds

When 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.

Cristina - another unsung hero

When 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.

Rosa, doing something to change the bad things

Some of the dogs rescued by La Bienvenida are prepared for their journey to France

Rosa is Spanish and works in Information Technology. She’s one of the unsung heroes who has been helping at the animal shelter of La Bienvenida in Ciudad Real, 200km south of Madrid for over 2 years.

‘My parents taught me to respect and love animals’, she explains, ‘and so I need to do something to change the bad things around me. I can’t change the world, but I can do a little to change the world around me.’

Fostering animals at her home and helping them find a forever home, as well as cleaning at the shelter and taking the dogs for walks, was just the beginning. Then she helped with the injured animals. ‘Finding homes for older dogs and galgos is the most difficult, and I try to find homes out of Spain for them’.

April & Paul Carrier, the rehabilitators

April & 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.

Supporting the campaign from Basse-Normandy

Nathalie Pollet lives in northern France, and every month she drives thousands of kilometres to transport galgos from Spanish refuges to new homes and a new life in France. It's amazing how many long-legged canines can sleep comfortably in a Fiesta.

It's also amazing how school-teacher Nathalie finds the time to go on so many rescues, as not all of them are organised during school holidays.

She's always been an animal lover, having been a volunteer for many years at a local French refuge, and learned about the plight of the Spanish galgos and the French rescue association L'Europe des Levriers in a television programme.

"When I decided to adopt one of these gentle dogs in June 2006," she explains, "I completed the 'Request to Adopt' form and Atenea was chosen as the one most suited to my lifestyle, having been saved by volunteers in Spain from being gassed."

Interview with Beatrice Monnet

Beatrice Monnet is one of the founder members of L'Europe des Levriers (EDL) established in August 2006 and I talked to her about how she got involved with galgos.

Beatrice Monnet (featured right): I was a volunteer with the SPA, mainly working with dogs who were considered to have no chance of rehoming. One I worked with was called Wanda and she was very traumatised by the gypsies. After six months she was fine with me, and I discovered she was a crossed galga (female galgo).

So I decided I wanted to help other galgos. I fell in love with the breed. I was very angry with the cruelty against them and I feel that fighting against the galguerros (Spanish hunters) is also fighting against barbarity in general.

Beryl Brennan: When was your first rescue?

BM: To begin with I was a volunteer with Levriers en Detresse for two years and went on many rescues with them. I also went to Madrid to do a rescue for Amigos de los Galgos and at the same time I discovered another association called Perrikus. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Cristina de Luna.