Galgo News

From a volunteer in a shelter to running a shelter

Back in 2007 when I first travelled to Spain with L'Europe des Levriers to bring rescued galgos and podencos back to our French home for foster and adoption, Galgo News was started. One of the first people to contact me for help in publicising galgos in shelters was Tina Solera, then a volunteer who discovered an injured galgo needing help. It's been interesting to follow the work of Tina since then with her association Galgos del Sol, to the shelter she now presides over. See the video on this weblink.

El Refugio de Brown in Badajoz, Extramadura - desperately needing help - donations, fosters, adoptions

A desperate appeal from Lidia Martinez of El Refugio de Brown in Badajoz, Extramadura, a terrible region for hunting dogs.

'I introduce myself I am Lidia Martinez and I am a teamer and collaborator of El Refugio de Brown in Zafra Badajoz, her situation is very hard,there are only two people managing more than 100 animals, at a cost monthly of € 2,000 or more in veterinary and residency expenses. They do not have their own premises, as the city council evicted them from its facilities and also residencia, where we take many animals from the perreras from Extremadura and Andalucia.

Please we ask you to value the possibility of being part of these groups with all support, since all help is fundamental and donations and help is desperately needed.

I leave you the link to their website so you can know them a little more and the links of their two groups.

www.elrefugiodebrown.org

https://www.teaming.net/elrefugiodebrown

https://www.teaming.net/rescatadosdelaperrera

Poor Galgo - strangled by a shoe lace! Now safe with Galgos del Sol

From Tina at Galgos del Sol.

'Only days after hunting dogs are excluded from the new Wwelfare Protection Laws in Spain, this galgo was found nearly dead' strangled by a shoe lace. Luckily found by people who are disgusted by these new laws. Deliberately tortured to die in agony. He’s not well & in vet care.

In relation to the case of the strangled Galgo, we have presented a formal legal statement. It can be seen in full on our FB page

Video - warning, upsetting pictures

Below is the action being taken against the owner of this galgo, who has been identified!

Tasmania - fighting dog racing

Here's the weblink to another of the Lawmaker Spotlighs by grey2kusa - this time about a criminal lawyer fighting greyhound racing in Tasmania.

Mark Russell, fighting to end dog racing

grey2kusa are running Lawmaker Spotlight articles and this weblink is about Mark Russell, Greens Member of the Scottish Parliament representing Fife.

grey2kusa.org

The Daphne Legacy Tour - in memory of Galga Daphne

Since the beginning of my involvement with the plight of the Galgo and Podenco back in 2007, I have watched the explosion of rescue associations - especially since the advent of Facebook in 2011 - which has been a positive in the struggle to deal with the treatment and abandonment of the hounds every year by the Galgueros. Many of these fabulous hounds now travel long journey across the Atlantic to forever homes in America and Canada.

Recently one of the US homing associations visited SOS Galgos to take back some hounds lucky enough to be offered forever homes. Here's what happened.

'We wish to give a huge heartfelt thank you to Captain Kate for having come to visit the SOS Galgos Rescue & Education Center in Barcelona and an equally huge heartfelt thanks to Founder of the Daphne Legacy Tour, Christina Azharian, for making it all come together. Much needed awareness has been raised about the plight of these gentle but resilient survivors, the Galgos, who are used and abused by Spanish hunters (galgueros) for hare coursing from September to February, year after year. Only awareness will make change. More education means less rescue. Thank you'

The Daphne Legacy Tour is a transport organization, bringing Galgos to the USA from Spain to be adopted through Greyhound adoption groups.

Read the story on this weblink. https://youtu.be/wMdd2zC7JPQ

The Story of Galgo's Rescue Almeria

In 2015 Sandy and John Cortebeeck sold up in Belgium and moved to Almeria to open a kennels. As with all good intentions, for dog lovers in Spain, the mass abandonment of galgos and podencos takes over everyone's life. Thank goodness there are people willing to give up almost everything to help these amazing dogs, treated like rubbish by the sub-human Spanish galgueros.

Click on this weblink to read the full story.

Galgos 112 - saving the abandoned and suffering Spanish hounds

Over the years I've mentioned this association when they have taken on board the rescue and rehabilitation of dogs which the sub human hunters have tried to kill, without success, or have been unbelievably seriously injured on the roads. Here's a story of just such another poor galga who, despite all her suffering at the hands of a hunter, still has the capacity to love,

The story of Flower

Galgo Podenco Platform - what they do

Many years ago the Dutch Galgo Lobby worked to publicise the plight of the galgos and podencos in Spain. The Galgo Podenco Platform is now doing the same. Here's an extract from their website.

'Galgo Podenco Platform

The galgolobby is a developed lobby in Europe, where these dogs are much exploited for their specific characteristics as sight hounds, including their speed and hunting abilities. Galgos are traditionally used for hare coursing on the countryside and sometimes on enclosed tracks.

A very important development is that the galgo-lobby also represents the podenco: The Great Forgotten. Podencos are mostly used and abused in the Rehalas and Monterias: the driven hunt. The number of podencos greatly exceeds the number of galgos in Spain. These dogs live mostly hidden in dark and filthy barns on one meter chains.'

You can read more about their work on this link.

Giving rescue dogs a chance

Not about galgos or Spanish hounds but I thought you might be interested to read this story of a young woman in Romania (where we know the dogs also suffer horrendous cruelty) and her work saving the street dogs.