Update on Galga mom and pups in Portugal - please help

The latst update from Ines on the mama galga and pup in Portugal. It will break your heart.

'Today (Saturday) Estrela (as we named the galga) was forced to course again, and will be forced to race tomorrow (illegal gambling also takes place in this area). She lost 3 hares today so yet again suffered abuse by her owner. When she got back to town she was set loose by the man, and she ran straight to Teresa, who fed her and gave her some cuddles. Teresa learned today that the man was about to drown yet another pup, so Teresa went to collect him (pics attached).

We could really use some more puppy milk and lactating food for the mum, so if you can help us, that would be very helpful. Paypal to [email protected]

People have been racing hounds every Sunday and doping the animals (we still don't know what with). Last Sunday 2 dogs died on the track, vomiting and convulsing, and foaming in agony. Teresa was not allowed to get close by and the authorities ignored the denuncias she made for the guard to go there and stop it.

If you prefer to donate by having food delivered, please PM Ines on her Facebook page for details.

https://www.facebook.com/TeresaCaOpanhia

https://www.facebook.com/groups/280428782071658/?fref=ts

I am responsible for this case and I wrote the details you see above. If you follow the link to our group and see the "about" section, you'll see that there is no RSPCA in Portugal and protection laws are minimal. Denuncias never have a follow up, mainly cause the police has no authority to walk into private property to witness that the crime is taking place. They would need a court order, that never happens. This man had over 20 denuncias against him, and the only solution we could find was to keep on goods terms with him so we could at least retire the bitches (or they would be shot) and rescue the odd pup (or they will be drowned). If we could anything else to punish these people we would, or we wouldn't have to rely on internet appeals to help these dogs. So if you believe you can mend this better, do find us on Facebook to help us help.

It also helps us to know that you people care, it's hard not to give up.'

Comments

[Tunde]

This means Potugal is even worse than Spain regarding animal cruelty.
We signed so many petitions for the Spanish dogs and now to see this... very bad news. What a mess...

Do NOT think that the SPCA's are the solution, they do much killing here in Canada... oh yes... PETA too...

There are other groups, better than that.
http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/shelter-reform/no-kill-equation/

http://www.no-killnews.com/?page_id=8

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?cat=10

A GOOD SPCA solves many problems but of course when no laws protect a dog like this galga and when the police does not give a damn that is a huge problem...

I live in Canada, near Toronto and they kill here thousands of cats... instead of massive AFFORDABLE spay/neuter campaigns.
We try here our best, I have recently signed a petition, s. here
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ora-project-accountability-now/
...and hope very much that it helps a little bit but even here, in a country with an excellent reputation is it super hard to realize a world fully without pounds and cruelty as there are always municipalities that are the Middle Age of animal welfare.
I have now a foster cat from the abovementioned pound and well, that place seems to me quite a death camp. For adult cats a one way ticket, basically...

It costs an enormous amount of work to change things as many politicians / authorities siply do not care.
When they start caring, however, things can go very quickly. They reformed the local pound in Calgary (Alberta, Canada) and within a few years they realized a no kill shelter.
And there is no tolerance anymore for animal cruelty, either...
They allow pitbulls in Calgary, are totally liberal, you keep as many pets as you want... but there are laws protecting animals and humans and when you do something against the law you get serious problems there... zero tolerance applies pretty quickly...
I hope that there will come a time when Portugal will reach this status.

[jenny]

if he was going to drownd pup teresa saved him what will he do to mama if she ant getting the hares and dosnt come anywhwere in races poor girl teresa needs to keep close eye on her to move quick when the time comes that this idiot dosnt try to end her life i will put donation through tomorrow bless

[Danielle Hart]

I live in Trois-Rivières, Québec and last week, the local SPCA killed a 10-month old Pittbull because he had an eye problem and they didn't want to treat it. The enployees collected the money needed for the surgery ($350) and had even secured a foster home for him to recover with the help of an animal technician and yet the SPCA's management decided to euthanize him. It's revolting...

Until recently, that SPCA couldn't even garantee that all the animals leaving to go to adoptants would be sterilized... They didn't have a vet on board, now they do. So at least from now on, all their animals will be sterilized. The whole operation is far from perfect and I think that local vets added to the problem here by refusing to give any of their precious time to help spay and neuter the animals in refuges and at the SPCA.

This town has about 130,000 people and we have over 20 vets in town, so if all of them had agreed to give some time every month to sterilize animals over the years, the problem would undoubtedly be less serious today. Every year, just in Québec, tens of thousands of cats and dogs are euthanized because they can't find them a home. It's crazy!

[Danielle Hart]

And for anyone reading this from Québec, here are some no-kill shelters in Quebec that sterilize all their animals:

http://arn-rsa.rescuegroups.org/
http://www.lerepairedesasha.org/accueil.cfm
http://www.rosieanimaladoption.ca/
http://www.gerdysrescue.org/

[Tunde]

It is possible to operate in the no kill modus but many shelters are too lazy for that. As far as I know it is not about money as euthanizing costs a good amount of money, too.
It is about willingness in the first place. Willingness to enter new paths when helping animals.

The best approach I have ever heard of is this: The Municipality of Almirante Brown Argentina Ethical Animal Control Program
http://www.canadianvoiceforanimals.org/files/animal_control_program.doc

But even they had problems with the veterinarians as those wanted the free of charge spay/neuter possibility to be finished off. They wanted the $$$ for themselves. Here is the story and the protest action (I was told that it was successful so the program could be continued). Technical details of the quick spay/neuter technique are on the bottom of the page (all vets who read this please take a look!).
http://www.cvfaf-germany.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64:news5&catid=1:aktuelle-nachrichten&Itemid=50A

Please feel free to spread this information and the links.
I hope that many shelters and pounds join the program.
The Argentinians are willing to help other shelters worldwide to achieve the no kill status, I think they even send out DVDs (although I have never tried).

Tunde

P.s: here is a quick spay surgery video with explanation(The Oregon Cat, USA):

http://theoregoncat.org/Spay___Neuter_NVJ0.html

Sorry for some off topic but it is an important issue.

[Inescanavarro]

We would like to gratefully thank all the donations given towards milk and food for the mum. She is now on a high energy diet and the pups are being hand-reared with the donated milk. On Teresa's and the dogs behalf, our massive THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

[Inescanavarro]

Teresa and the dogs would like to thank Matt Lightfoot, Beryl Brennan, Caroline Grebbell, Kelly Saunders, Jennifer Elvidge, Urs Weyerman, Alison Blair, Sandra Gasalho, Rosa Maria Moura, Helena Coelho, Maria Alexandra and Ciprita Rita for their generous contributions towards puppy milk for 24 and Fé, and towards lactating feed for Estrela, the galga mum (from Portugal). Many many thanks, they are now well fed and grateful :)

[jenny]

there is no need for thanks you are very welcome you have enough to do out there without trying to thank people just sooooooo pleased that it was ahappy ending and a big thank you to you all out there for just simply being there for these lost souls you sre their heros