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Comments

Kate

"Langrosto was originally chosen but he broke a horn so was taken to the slaughterhouse."

Oh no! Poor Langrosto - that's even worse, or as bad, or nearly as bad. Bloody hell - broke a horn!

Spain hasn't had long in which to move out of the Dark Ages. It's only 37 years since Franco died and there was a chance to begin to emerge from the opression of his dictatorship and the extreme R.C. church. I first came to Spain in 1954 or '55 and I assure you, it was almost medeival. There were some lovely aspects to this, but kindness to animals has rarely been a feature of poor and oppressed societies. Most of my neighbours aged over 50 never went to school and started as domestic servants, goatherds, labourers, etc. between the ages of 6 and 12, while I was taking the 11 plus and joining the Pony Club. (I'm not excusing, just explaining.) They hate cruel festivals, too, but I think they have little tendency to rebel against anything or to question things, which is understandable, considering their lives.

Kate

I think there should be two 'p's in oppression in fact I'msure, and 'medeival' looks wrong, too!

Marion

Very interesting post thanks Kate. Realise you are not excusing things, but there are always reasons aren't there?

Medieval............that's it! Hope you don't mind, i before e that's all.

Just have to keep fighting for better animal welfare in Spain don't we............

Kathryn

Torturing animals for fun is unacceptable, full stop, no explanations or excuses. It is a good job that there are people who will stand up and object. I will email the Spanish Embassy and hopefully if enough people do this, they may listen.

jenny

emailed one but it bounced bk to me so will try another address now see what happens and ye kim that is correct what you have said all these words are just lame excuses for torturing animals

Kate

“Very interesting post thanks Kate. Realise you are not excusing things, but there are always reasons aren't there?”
Absolutely, and it's far more interesting and productive to learn and understand about them than simply to blame and condemn without understanding. Oh, I forgot – as well as the oppression, staggering poverty, backwardness and extreme power of religion – the flipping machismo, which is a whole 'nother subject! (It's the mothers and grandmothers who are the real, secret powers – I reckon that's why the men have to show off so much.)

After all, we had “dancing” bears in England and France not so very long ago and cock-fighting has never stopped, just happens in private. Don't understand it myself, but nor do I understand wars and armies, or why anyone thinks we should send things into space or fly about in aeroplanes, or how people can bear to wear make-up!

I can't post links, but if you do an internet search for “LIFE Behind the Picture: W. Eugene Smith’s ‘Guardia Civil,’ 1950 ,” you can see a series of 18 photos by one of the most wonderful photographers ever, showing what life was like here. Compare it with England (or wherever you live) in 1950. Even much more recently, just 10 years ago, I've been in villages that.. ..well, the roads were just rock and dust, with pigs and chickens scronkling about, and houses not as posh as your stable or garage.. ..and the few people who lived there would just staaare and not speak. Always, there's a massive church among the hovels and usually a nice communal wash-house - cleanliness is next to godliness, I suppose!

“Medieval............that's it! Hope you don't mind, i before e that's all.”
No, indeed I don't mind! Thank you, Marion.

“Just have to keep fighting for better animal welfare in Spain don't we............ “
Yes, and the Spanish organisations are doing it most impressively, which is why I've joined several. Just think – PACMA is a whole political party to give a voice to animals and they got nearly 400,000 votes last time!


Kate

Kathryn and Jenny, I'm sorry you don't understand the difference between explaining and condoning; also that you believe cruelty, antipathy and aggression are best addressed by more cruelty, antipathy and aggression, but never mind.
Obviously, I sign petitons, but sometimes I also write letters on paper and post them, as that's far more effective and it means they have to pay a secretary to reply! Incidentally, I've been donating to galgos since 1993, have bid against the meatmen to buy Welsh mountain foals from at Llanybudder, been waylaid in the snow, dragged out of the van and beaten up when rescuing a mare from a dark barn where she was hock-deep in liquid manure and had just two hours to live before the abbatoir, been threatened by three dealers with knives when they were ill-treating a sweet little trotter mare (but luckily there was a gypsy camp within sight and they rescued me and the mare, rang the vet, paid him and looked after ther poor dear for three days till she died of brain haemorrage – it's usually gypsies who come to the rescue, certainly never posh people) and the lovely dog in Greece, who'd been left at the tideline with his feet tied together so that he'd drown and had more and bigger ticks than I'd have believed possible. There've been lots of others, goats, birds, horses, cats, hounds – I don't keep count. In the last year, I've saved three adult dogs (two pods) and four puppies from the streets, in the three preceding years about 20 cats and 26 chickens; I'm a paid-up, active member of PACMA, five other Spanish animal ONGs and Ecologistas en Acción, as well as two rainforest ONGs, MSF, Alliance for Natural Health International and.. Oh, there's so much. I also keep up with Tomgram Dispatch, ENEnergyNews, Vacctruth, Natural News and various other things. So you're quite mistaken if you think I don't are or don't bother.
However, I do not, will not and have no desire to HATE galguerros, hunters in general, or anyone else. I think that's morally wrong and entirely counter-productive. I want to stop ill-treatment of animals and lack of respect for animals, but I won't join in judging or condemning the people who take part – I have more than enough faults and sins myself, without worrying about other people's. It doesn't help the animals, all this anger and blame.
I've never seen animals hating and blaming and grudge-bearing in the way humans do.

Kate

It was also Franco who decided that Spain's economy should be based on tourism and building construction - oops! Have you seen his mausoleum-thing? Shudder!

jenny

well i am so pleased you do what you do for the animals and you do a lot from what i have read i for one think the the people who are responsible for animal cruelty should be dealt with and prosecuted by the law thats the unacceptable part i am talking about because the pics the stories i have read seen up to now have truely broke my heart and there as got to be justice lawfully for these poor dogs they are of flesh and blood and fear things and feel pain in the same way us humanes do and i dont judge anyone for what wrongs they do there is always a reason for what ever but kate this is a ongoing situation every day night for these lost souls if all animals was left in peace the way it should be then i would have no probs full stop

Kathryn

You are ignorant in your assumptions and how dare you state that I don't understand the difference between explaining and condoning and that I believe in cruelty to address cruelty. You come across as a person who thinks only their views are the correct ones and I for one don't appreciate the lecture. I am delighted that you do so much for animals and obviously that you feel the need to detail every good deed. I am sure that many of the readers are heavily involved in the rescue, saving and adoption of animals too. I support the Brooke which puts a great emphasis on helping and educating people as well as helping animals, as this is a great way forward in trying to reduce the suffering of animals. I also write letters and post them, how remarkable! I also have two unwanted rescue dogs, remarkable! We had a recent case in Sheffield where a man stole a dog, broke its legs and set fire to it whilst filming the whole episode, all for a laugh. I think this man is scum and I am happy to carry on thinking that. There is a big difference between cruelty for fun and cruelty out of ignorance and lack of education. These are my views and I am entitled to them without receiving a lecture from someone I do not know. It is also interesting to note that you think every comment is related to something that you have written. I won't be responding to any more of your comments as I realise that this has happened before in another post, where someone has become upset and offended by the lecturing tone of your posts. Please do not presume to know me or what I think and feel, just from a few sentences that I have written. I stand by my comments that torturing animals for fun is unacceptable. However, I state again that nowhere in this post have I mentioned inflicting cruelty on anyone. Do I dislike a person who would throw a dog down a well, break its legs, hang it, absolutely yes and I am not going to apologise for that. Do I advocate an eye for an eye, no, there is the rule of law, without which there would be witch hunts and lynch mobs and that is quite clearly unacceptable, no explanations or excuses.

Kathryn

Human beings unlike other animals are able to reflect on and make judgements about our own and others actions and we are able to make considered moral choices. Animals are unable to do this so don't hate or judge. Hence the abuse of the vulnerable provoking such strong feelings from some people. Good job too that some people do feel this, as that can make change happen. Obviously not with lynch mobs though, I don't want to be accused of inciting hatred!

Kate

I won't use this blog again, then you needn't be upset or angry.

Beryl Brennan

Hate and anger are what over 15,000 people felt and expressed when they marched in protest against the Toro de la Vega. Without those passionate feelings, there would be no chance of any change. I feel hate and anger against the galgueros who perpetuate such misery to their hunting dogs and also against those galgueros who do care for their dogs and do NOTHING to improve the situation. I also hate it when my blogs are used for personal attacks on others who comment. At the end of the day, we are all generally singing from the same hymn sheet.

Kelly S-Cross

Have sent emails to all the addresses....and they've all bounced back....???

Kelly

jenny

ye i have done a second one and that bounced back to me aswell

Beryl Brennan

I would guess that they received so many emails they have now blocked their addresses or their inboxes are full. It's happened before with government departments when we've run letter-writing campaigns. Over 15,000 people marched - full national press coverage - so they know the strength of feeling in Spain now, let alone around the rest of the world.

jenny

lets hope all these people make change for the best its great so many people marched well done to them all

Polly

Hello all

I have been away and so am writing a bit late (I hope not too late) for Vulcano and against the horrifying Toro de la Vega festival on this Thursday 19th September.

Yes my emails to the embassies and consulates bounced back as errors too from the addresses kindly given here on the most fantastic Galgo News and Podenco Post. I am so glad you are here telling us about these abuses so we can do our best to help. Yes probably the offices have blocked the addresses or their inboxes are full up.

However I went searching on google for alternative addresses (before I read here that others had experienced error messages) and so far my emails to these new ones have not come back, so I hope they may still be functioning addresses as additional options.

If anyone else still wants to add their name for Vulcano and thinks, like me, it is still worth trying to speak out just in case one more voice can tip things from cruelty to compassion then here are the new email addresses I found and which so far seem to be reaching the Spanish embassy/consultates:

London Embassy - [email protected]
London Consultate - [email protected]
Edinburgh Consulate - [email protected]

Unfortunately I don't seem to have any luck with the Manchester Consulate at all.

I never give up hoping that together we can change things for the millions of innocent animal beings humans abuse day in day out across the world. Their suffering is heartbreaking and I am so often ashamed to be of the same species that causes such pain. The one light in this heartbreak is that there are so many of us trying our best for animals in small or big ways, and we must never give up. Polly

jenny

thanks for them addresses polly will email

jenny

email gone through just wait to see if i get reply

Kathryn

Thank you Polly, this is great. I will definitely be adding my voice to this and will email today. I love your last paragraph and you are right, we must never give up. We can just keeping hoping for compassion and change.

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