Galgo News

Law to Protect domestic animals in Spain - but probably not galgos!

Also, just read this news on the Noah's Arc website. Can anyone tell me more - does this now apply to galgos and too?

Prison sentence for abandoning or abusing an animal !

New laws just passed in Spain now make it a criminal offence to abandon or mistreat an animal.

Article 337 says "Those that ill-treat domestic animals with cruelty, causing the death or provoking injuries that produce serious physical damage will be punished by a sentence of prison from three months to one year"

URGENT SOS - ANIMALS DYING IN ISORA - HELP GET THEM OUT

Not about galgos or podencos, just a desperate plea for anyone in the Isora area to please help these animals. Charl writes.....

This is a plea for help for animals in a finca in Isora there are several animals dying of heat and dehydration!!!! 20 have been taken by the person trying to get the animals out of there but many are left and they cannot take them all. If you can help call the number below, this is URGENT!

Charlotte & Ambo Ambasadog! http://112carlotagalgos.blogspot.com

LLAMEN AL MÓVIL 646-640-622

APANOT Protectora de Animales

Podenco in Cordoba/Malaga area urgently needs help

Can anyone help Kerry and her podenco Spesh, an urgent solution needs to be found for helping them find a new home for him. This is their story.

'I thought I would send you my story in case you could help or knew anyone who might want to adopt a podenco.

There is a quite a story behind him (as I am sure there is with most rescue dogs) but firstly, the basics facts are; he is a 5yr old castrated male with his recently acquired passport for travel and entry into the UK and is currently housed near Iznajar on the Cordoba/Malaga borders.

'Spesh' was one of a litter of 8 which we hand-reared when his stray Mum was to ill to feed them at 5 days old.

Introducing the Sloughi - another amazing sighthound

Through my passion for greyhounds and Spanish galgos, I have learnt about other more unusual breeds of sighthounds, where I have been asked if I can help find new homes. Last year it was the Azawakh, this year it is the Sloughi.

Caroline Mathews of Sloughi Rescue in the UK explains how she got involved with the breed.

'My first rescue Sloughi, Oscar, came to me from a shelter in the UK in 1999. I didnt know about Sloughis at that time and thought that I had a rather unique and beautiful looking Lurcher. A couple of years later I was introduced to the breed and a true love affair was started.

Saving galgos - Noah's Arc at full stretch!

Gail is a volunteer with Noah's Arc association in Murcia. She recently became involved in saving several galgos which had been taken to a dog pound in Mairena to be put down. This is her story about saving the dogs.

'I received an email from Lisbeth Monsted Larsen from Greyhound Action Denmark on Saturday 13th June 2009 showing an appeal to save Spanish Greyhounds - due to be put down. Of course once I had seen the photos of these beautiful dogs I felt I needed to see if we could do something. So I emailed Karmela to find out where they were and she said Mairena. I looked to see where that was in Spain and found there was a Mairena near to Granada and asked if that was where she was but she didn't tell me where it was, just that she needed our help if possible and then how much it would cost to get them out of the pound.

Protecting Galgos and Podencos - another petition to sign with Pro-Galgo

Sign the Pro-Galgo Petition

The correct paperwork - identification of a Spanish dog

Mo Swatek is founder and president of Pro-Galgo. She lives and works in Spain and has considerable experience of the plight of the galgos, as well as all the other abandoned dogs there. Her association has rehomed many of their rescued dogs abroad, including the UK where the DEFRA requirements of taking a dog into the UK are very strict.

She has written an explanation (in Spanish and German) on her website of the procedures to be followed by the shelters and refuges in Spain with regard to the microchipping and vaccination of all and any dogs which are intended to be taken out of Spain for rehoming, including their transportation, and it is up to the different rescue associations to make sure that, for every dog they take, its EU canine passport and paperwork are correct.

She says ' I work only and exclusively with people that are members of PRO-GALGO INTERNATIONAL and can be trusted. I was fed up of being cheated by rescue groups, not paid, not receiving any adoption fees and not having any information about the whereabouts of our ex dogs... and finding out that no home checks had been done etc etc'.

Everyone is concerned to help the galgos and podencos escape their lives of hell in Spain, but it is vital that all of us who take one of these deserving and loving dogs check as far as we possibly can that their paperwork is in order, including the passport carrying a photo of the dog.

Law to stop importing Spanish dogs into Belgium - an explanation

Re the proposed Belgian law due to put into effect October 2009 - I have a received a copy in both Spanish and French but unfortunately it is over 30 pages long and I haven't been able to get it translated into English yet! However, this is a basic explanation of the reason behind the law.

Hundreds of dogs from refuges in Spain have been rehomed in Belgium. However, not all the refuges and shelters in Spain adhere to the strict regulations for preparing the EU passport and paperwork before the dogs leave the refuge. Many illegalities have taken place such as faked passports (vaccination dates, for eg), importation of sick dogs carrying distemper or parvovirosis, inaccuracies about the age of dogs, even some occasions where dogs have been imported with passports which did not match the chip number. Some of these rescuers have been reported to the Belgian authorities and this has prompted the introduction of the ban.

Galgos France - appeal for donations to create a Spanish refuge

Galgos France, together with the association Cuencanimal, are appealing for donations to help them buy a piece of land on which to build a refuge for abandoned dogs, which will include hundreds of galgos every year. They need to raise nearly 26,000 euros to buy the land (they have already raised some funds and paid part of the sum), but they will also need funds to construct the refuge too, which they intend to be a model for future refuges. To view the land, and to make a donation, click here.

RSPCA comment on Voting to protect Greyhounds

RSPCA report on the vote by 22nd July.

Thank you so much for responding to the government consultation on the welfare of racing greyhounds.

We wanted to let you know that the government received over 10,000 responses to the consultation from RSPCA supporters in just under two weeks. This is a great achievement!

We really appreciate you taking action on this important issue.

We want to see effective regulations brought in to cover the welfare of all racing greyhounds from cradle to grave, not just whilst they’re at the racetrack. All aspects of welfare within the greyhound industry, from breeding to kennelling, racing, transportation, management and retirement need to be comprehensively improved.

We hope the mass response to the government consultation influences the range of welfare issues that are addressed within the regulations. We shall keep you informed of the outcome of this consultation.

Thanks again for your support on this campaign.

The RSPCA Campaigns Team