'From Heaven to Hell - The Story of the Galgo Espanol'

From Heaven to Hell is the definitive guide to the story of the Galgo Espagnol, from its history, character, diseases, European law, Spanish law and much more. A must-have book for all those passionate about the galgo.

The book has been translated into Spanish, Italian and French. All print copies are sold out.

To order a copy

English version, Link here.

French version, order here

Italian version, Link here

All proceeds from the sale of the books are donated to Spanish rescues helping galgos.

Read reviews of the book here.

Throughout the book at the beginning and end of each chapter, I tell the story of a galga and her puppies, rescued by volunteers.

What happens to the galga, where do her puppies go, what other events happen at the shelter, what happens with other galgos?

Here is a taster from Chapter 1Origin of ‘Galgo Espanol

The bitch cowered in a corner of the derelict building, eyes dull but fearful, her skeletal body covered in scars, protecting her puppies struggling vainly to suckle from her malnourished frame. The woman stood quietly, her eyes adjusting to gloomy light, observing the scene before her eyes. If she could gain the bitch’s trust, approach with food and water, then there was a chance that she could catch her and take her back to the shelter……and then, as the bitch turned, the woman saw the dog could barely move, not only had the bitch 8 puppies to care for, she had injuries to her front legs…

How has a descendent of such a noble breed of dog come to be regarded as ‘vermin’ in the eyes of the Spanish and abandoned in this way?

Several explanations are put forward regarding the history of the Galgo Espanol , or Spanish Greyhound, but one thing upon which everyone is agreed is that it is an ancient breed of dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family, so called because they hunt by sight rather than by nose.

The origin of the word ‘galgo’ could derive from the Gauls, an ancient tribe of Celts, who migrated across Europe and down into the Iberian Peninsula around 500BC. A search through the Celtic language will suggest ‘Celtic’ is a word with an heroic meaning. Cuchulainn is a heroic figure in Irish mythology; Cu means ‘hound’ – so ‘hound of Chulainn.

Another theory is that the Romans found a breed of dog in Spain called ‘Canus Galicus’ – or Celtic dog – in the Galicia area of Spain which, in Spanish pronunciation, would be ‘galico’, shortened to ‘galgo’, ‘Gaze hounds’ is a term for the dogs used to hunt hare by the Ancient Greeks, possibly the word ‘greyhound’ developed from this.

In all instances, the ‘hound’ had to be a dog built to outrun its quarry with speeds of up to 40mph, alongside a hunter on horseback or in a chariot.

Earliest indications of the existence of the Galgo Espanol

Greek art and coins depict short-haired hounds, some claim these are the ancestors of the Ibizan hound or Podenco, rather than the galgo, and in 325BC or thereabouts the Macedonian monarch Alexander the Great reportedly had a hound named Peritas accompany him on his military campaigns.

A scene often depicted in Greek and Roman art is the mythical tale of the goddess Artemis bathing in a river. A human named Actaeon, accompanied by his hounds, saw her, so she punished him by turning him into a stag and had him hunted down by his hounds.

Research also produced the fact that the only breed of dog mentioned by name in the Bible is the greyhound (Proverbs 30:39-31, King James version.
‘There be three things which do well, year, Which are comely in going; A lion, which is strongest among beasts and Turneth not away from any; a greyhound; A he-goat also.’

So, we have the Gauls moving into Spain with hounds; we have Ancient Greeks with hounds; we have Romans with hounds. We also have the Ancient Egyptians with hounds, which were used both for hunting and as companions. They were the only dog permitted to share the tent of an Arab, and to ride atop their camels. The birth of such a hound was second only in importance to the birth of a son.

When their owner died, a favourite hound would be mummified and buried with them, as is illustrated on the walls of Egyptian tombs. Rekhma Ra (1400BC), and pharoahs Tutankhamen, Amenhotep II, Queen Hatshepsut and Cleopatra VII also owned greyhound-type dogs – which leads us to the development of the pharaoh hound’ – a smaller close relation of the greyhound.

Having told the tale of the Greek goddess Artemis, the Romans have the goddess Diana who hunted with hounds, and in a popular Roman story she gives a greyhound named Lelaps to her good friend Procris. Procris takes him hunting and before long they spot a hare. Unfortunately for Lelaps, the gods didn’t want the hare to be caught and turned both Lelaps and the hare into stone: another scene common in Roman art.

A further theory is that, probably between 800-1400AD, Arab and Berber invaders crossed the Mediterranean into Spain, and brought their hunting dogs, Saluki and Sloughi, with them, together with their falcons.

The saluki is a very fine-boned sighthound, the sloughi more sturdy, but it is believed that these dogs, together with the Celtic hounds, formed the basis for the Galgo Espanol, the perfect partner for the falcon bird of prey.

Life Changes in Spain

15th century Spain was made up of five independent kingdoms; Portugal, Navarre, Castile, Aragon, and Granada. In 1469 Isabella, heiress of Castile, married Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Aragon. By 1512 Granada and Navarre had been annexed and Spain as we know it now was established.

As Christians, they drove the Jews and Muslims out of Spain and authorised the establishment of monasteries and castles around the country. The clergy themselves became a strong social class, after the aristocracy and nobility, the remainder of the population, some 90%, survived as unskilled cattlemen and farmers, paying rents and taxes to the clergy or the Crown.

As in Britain, hunting with hounds was the prerogative of the aristocracy, especially the Royal Families. In Spain, the national hero Diego Diaz de Vivar (El Cid) used galgo hounds for hunting. The galgo was held in great esteem and if one was stolen, the thief paid with his life.

This penalty was set out in the Fuero (Code of Laws) of Salamanca in the 9th century, Fuero of Cuenca, Fuero of Zorita de los Canes, Fueros of Molina of Aragon and Fuero de Usagre in the 12th century.

The result of this increase in farming, especially with cattle and sheep, was that land was cleared of forest, great plains were created, and hares and other game became prolific. The aristocracy employed peasants to run their hound kennels and look after the dogs, and sometimes an injured dog or puppy would disappear. Food was scarce, and the peasant population began to hunt with these dogs

People then started getting together for competitions, known as ‘galgo entertainment’ or ‘carreras en campo’. This encouraged the breeding of power and hunting technique in the dogs, and some were specifically bred as track hounds, with the speed of the greyhound but the hardiness of the celtic ‘galgo’ hound.

This led to the purebred hunting Galgo Espanol being threatened with extinction. In the 1930’s, the lure of professional racing, such as was popular in England, meant that money, fame and honour became more important and so the Galgo Ingles Espanol developed, more like greyhounds, and generally larger than the Galgo Espanol.

It is in rural areas of Spain where stocks of beautiful and typical galgos are to be found. Sadly, the large majority of their hunting owners (galgueros) are not interested in registering the litters. However there are some galgo breeders who are working to restore purebred galgos with pedigrees.

The woman is my friend Lupe, we are both volunteers at the refuge. Lupe came and told us about the bitch, said she was going to try and catch her, and returned to leave food and water. Lupe waited quietly, not moving, not invading the bitch’s space, gaining her trust. Eventually she was able to touch the galga, talking to her all the time to reassure her no harm was meant to either her or her puppies, gaining her trust. And hoping all the while that she would soon be able to rescue them and bring them to a place of safety.

Reviews by some of the readers

Comments

[tina]

Hi
Is the book selling well so far? I hope so x

[Beryl Brennan]

Bonjour

Yes thanks, lots of interest. Still working on getting a print edition too. And searching for bi-lingual English/Spanish translators who dont cost an arm and a leg!

Beryl

[Tina]

Im just wondering if between myself and my spanish friend we could do it but it might take us ages fitting it around the kids and the refuge. I am downloading the book tomorrow arranged with my friend so I will see how long the book is and if i think it would be possible. its knowing someone that would do it at a minimum cost that is the problem. With the crisis so strong here no one wants to do anything for free. x

[Kate]

Hey Beryl,

This is great - congratulations!!! Have been offline for a few weeks so am catching up on your news now and will buy my copy tonight.

Thank you so much for having written this!

Best; Kate

[Beryl Brennan]


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Bon Soir

Great, will be very interested in your
comments. And if you would like to send a review to Scoot Publishing, that
will be included on their website. Any comments, good or bad, will be
appreciated.

Amities

Beryl

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/deuxsevres/

http://www.galgonews.com
Helping to make
a difference

A person who has never known a dogs love has
missed a wonderful part of life. Bob Barker

The dog has no ambition, no self-interest, no
desire for vengeance, no fear other than that of displeasing.
Count of Buffon

[Suzie Scott]

Hi Beryl

Any idea when a print edition might be available? Would prefer a hard copy myself and think it would make a great gift too. I do spread the word whenever I can about the plight of these wonderful dogs but to be able to give a book to friends to read at their leisure so they can fully appreciate what is going on in Spain would I'm sure have more impact. I hate to mention Christmas so early in the year but this would make a great gift for any animal lover. I'll definitely be ordering when a print copy is available.

Cheers
Suzie

[Beryl Brennan]


TypePad HTML Email

Hi Suzie

Have news on the print version, will post
later.

Amities

Beryl

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/deuxsevres/

http://www.galgonews.com
Helping to make
a difference

A person who has never known a dogs love has
missed a wonderful part of life. Bob Barker

The dog has no ambition, no self-interest, no
desire for vengeance, no fear other than that of displeasing.
Count of Buffon

[nina]

hi Beryl,

Where can I buy your book? I have been always a volunteer for the spanish galgos and I would love to read it. If you would have ever the idea to translate it in Dutch, don't hesitate, I can help you out then.

Hope to hear soon from you.
Greetings Nina

[Beryl Brennan]


TypePad HTML Email

Bonjour Nina

If you click on the picture of my book on the
right-hand side of Galgo News home page, this will take you direct to Scoot
Books and you can order a copy of the book and pay by Paypal.

Well, I need to get it translated into Spanish and
French, I hadnt thought of Dutch. Wait till you receive the copy of your
book, you might think it is too long! Thank you for your very kind offer
which is very much appreciated. The quotes I have had for translation into
French are 4,000 and 7,000 euros!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for reading GN and supporting the galgos and
I will be pleased to receive your comments when you have read my
book.

Amities

Beryl

Amities

Beryl

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/deuxsevres/

http://www.galgonews.com
Helping to make
a difference

A person who has never known a dogs love has
missed a wonderful part of life. Bob Barker

The dog has no ambition, no self-interest, no
desire for vengeance, no fear other than that of displeasing.
Count of Buffon

[Margaret Ann]

Hello Beryl,

I have ordered and paid for a print copy (22nd May) to be sent to Denmark in Western Australia to Ms Lexie Nicholls who donates generously to the cause of these beautiful dogs and after no response from [email protected] to several enquiries, I am getting a little worried. I'm reading now that it may not be in print as yet - could you please let me know; I would be very grateful.

Yours very sincerely and with appreciation,
Margaret
July, 2010

[Tina]

Recieved my print copy and I am delighted with the work Beryl has done. Some of the content was extremely distressing and will admit to a tear or two but I am positive that this book will have an impact on re-educating Spains youngsters about these gentle creatures, the spanish galgo! 'Ode to a Galguero' by Charl also had me in tears. I imagined it all too well whilst reading it on the sofa snuggled up with my galgo. The most loyal dogs treated like vermin. Thank You Beryl.

[Beryl Brennan]


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Bonjour

The Ebook was released at the beginning of May, but
the print version was not ready until the middle of June. Everyone has
worked very hard to get the book out before Spain handed over the presidency of
the EU at the end of June, so I could write to the Spanish President and the
Presidents of all the Spanish galgo racing and hunting federations and tell them
it was out in the public domaine. The copy of the book you ordered came
through as a print version and was posted on 21st June, 2010 - it is addressed
to you as that is how it came through Paypal, but the address is Western
Australia. Due to the cost of postage in France, the books have been sent
economy rate. The ones to the UK posted on the same date arrived at the
end of last week, so apologies to everyone else, but Im afraid they will take a
little longer to arrive. However I can assure you that all orders received
up to and including 3rd July 2010 have been posted.

What you have read is that the first print run sold
out very quickly, and a second print run has already been completed!
Orders to date from this print run were posted on 4th July.

Im sorry you didnt hear back from Scootbooks,
they are only a new small company and one of their computers was down for a few
days - frustratingly the typesetting one! They try their best. The
only charges they have made for publishing the book are for materials - paper,
ink cartridges (which are quite expensive), binding and postage. The rest
of the proceeds from the sale of the book go into my Galgo Fund. From the
sales of the book, I have already been able to donate to two appeals which I
featured recently on Galgo News.

Please do not worry, the book is winging its way to
Oz!

Amities

Beryl

http://www.galgonews.com
Helping to make
a difference

A person who has never known a dogs love has
missed a wonderful part of life. Bob Barker

The dog has no ambition, no self-interest, no
desire for vengeance, no fear other than that of displeasing.
Count of Buffon

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/deuxsevres/
Read
about life in Deux-Sevres

[Beryl Brennan]


TypePad HTML Email

Hi Tina

I know how very much work you devote to Spains
abandoned dogs, and especially how many abandoned galgos you have rescued and
rehomed after hunting ended this season.

I have to admit to a few goosebumps to read your
lovely comments. I hope everyone else learns a lot from the content of the
book, especially those who do not live in Spain and see the results of the
annual holocaust and try and pick up the pieces.

May you continue to be strong to cope with what
these sick hunters chuck out on your doorstep every January.

We have to keep fighting for the
innocents.

Amities

Beryl

http://www.galgonews.com
Helping to make
a difference

A person who has never known a dogs love has
missed a wonderful part of life. Bob Barker

The dog has no ambition, no self-interest, no
desire for vengeance, no fear other than that of displeasing.
Count of Buffon

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/deuxsevres/
Read
about life in Deux-Sevres

[Margaret Ann]

Thanks so much Beryl for your prompt reply and followup and I am so relieved to find the book is on its way - my sister and I will be delighted to read it. She is an avid reader of everything "Galgo" and has followed your work closely and with total admiration, only wishing she could do more for the cause.
Best of best wishes to you Beryl.
Kind regards, Margaret Ann

[Beryl Brennan]


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Bonjour

Let me know when it arrives, as it will give me an
idea of how long the Economy rate takes to get to Oceana.

And thank you for your kind words. Donations
and Sponsor a Dog are great ways to help the galgos, especially now there seem
to be more and more being dumped. Every day, still, I receive tales of
people picking up galgos, the shelters are full to bursting!

We have to do what we can to try and get the
hunting and racing people to regulate themselves properly to stop all
this. Also the regional councils and judges where prosecutions are heard -
trouble is, most of them are hunters and also corrupt!

Amities

Beryl

http://www.galgonews.com
Helping to make
a difference

A person who has never known a dogs love has
missed a wonderful part of life. Bob Barker

The dog has no ambition, no self-interest, no
desire for vengeance, no fear other than that of displeasing.
Count of Buffon

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/deuxsevres/
Read
about life in Deux-Sevres

[Judy]

Beryl, I am so anxious to read your book. I ordered it a while back (maybe a month ago or more?) and haven't yet rec'd it. Paid for it using PayPal. Tried contacting the Scoot Book website but kept getting message that "website link was broken". Any ideas? Thanks from Judy in Colorado, USA.

[Beryl Brennan]


TypePad HTML Email

Bonjour Judy

Im sorry the book is taking so long to reach
people, its the problem with being posted from France - trying to keep postage
costs down, it is taking about 4 weeks to reach the US, depending on which side
you are! Your book was posted on 4th July, so it should be dropping into
your letterbox any day now. One which was posted on 21st June to California only
arrived last week!Ive tried the weblink on Scootbooks and it worked ok,
so maybe there was a temporary glitch when you tried.

Amities

Beryl

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/deuxsevres/
Read
about life in Deux-Sevres

[Maria]

Could you send me the link to order the print version Beryl, I'd like to order 2 copies, one for me and the other for my brother who has 2 rescue greys, thank you :)

[Beryl Brennan]


TypePad HTML Email

Bonjour

Just click onto the link below the front page of
the book, on the right hand side of Galgo News homepage.

Had lots of positive comments about
it.

Amities

Beryl

http://www.galgonews.com
Helping to make
a difference

A person who has never known a dogs love has
missed a wonderful part of life. Bob Barker

The dog has no ambition, no self-interest, no
desire for vengeance, no fear other than that of displeasing.
Count of Buffon

If you pick up a starving dog and make him
prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog
and a man Mark Twain

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/deuxsevres/
Read
about life in Deux-Sevres

[MARIA SONIA ESTRADA-SOLERO]

JUSTICIA PARA LOS POBRES GALGOS . CAMBIAR LAS LEYES Y QUE LOS ASESINOS DE GALGOS VAYAN A LA CÁRCEL . SÓLO ASÍ TERMINARÁ ESTA ESPANTOSA MASACRE .

[Stephani]

Hello Beryl,

I am trying to buy the 'From Heaven to Hell...' in English but when I push on the Pay USA and all over button, it takes me to an area to pay from France and the directions are in French. Where do I go to get an english version of how to order and my personal information to come through to the right company? I am confused. I really need this for a Christmas present! Can you help me please!

[Beryl Brennan]


TypePad HTML Email

Bonjour

Not sure why you are having a problem, as I have
received many orders from the US. Click on the Buy Now button, it should
bring up a page with the amount due, your email address and asks you to login to
your account. Login and the page goes into English. If you still
have a problem,go into your Paypal account,
send the amount including postage $21.49 to my email address [email protected]. Then email me
confirmation and your full name and address and I will post a copy off to
you.

Amities

Beryl

[Stephani]

Hey Beryl,

Thank you so much for your info above. I've ordered the book by credit card and received a confirmation. Is there anyway you can make sure it comes to me in English, as the person I am giving the book to does not speak Spanish. (Neither do I, sorry!)

Thank you once again...and just so you know, we are getting a galgo and a pondenco arriving in California Jan. 12th, 2012! Our first encounters of the little darlings and we can't wait! We've rescued greyhounds over the years and now we're looking forward to adding Spain's little angels to our pack!

Kindest regards,
Stephani

[Beryl Brennan]


TypePad HTML Email

Bonjour

Thank you for your order, it will be a copy in
English. And great news that you are adopting a galgo and podenco; I
presume these are two being taken over by GRIN with Telma Shaw. You will
have to write and tell me all about them, so we can share the news with my
GN and PP readers. Thank you for caring and supporting these deserving
dogs.

Amities

Beryl

[Anne]

Hi Beryl,

I'm new to your site (I have a couple of rescued podencos myself). I'd like to make a suggestion. I think this book might do very well as a Kindle book. It's very easy to publish and free as well. My other idea would be to look for volunteers for translation, especially if proceeds are going to help the animals.

Just a thought