Galgo News

Living with a blind dog

I've written this article on my Podenco Post blog but I want to share it with you because the situation with our podenco could just as easily be written about a galgo.

Bo (Bocelli) is a blind podenco we recently adopted from life on a chain in Lorca, Spain. Having both had dogs for all our seven decades of life, we have never had a blind dog. So it is a new experience for us. He has now been with us for a couple of months and is settling in very well. He can now find his way out of the kitchen into the garden to the toilet, and back again. Luckily we have a ramp at our back door rather than steps, which is much easier for him. He hasn't so far ventured into the rest of the bungalow but no doubt he will do it one day, in his own time.

He shares his home with Rosely, a sighted podenca, and very often shares his bed with her. She wears a bell on her collar so he always knows where she is. He is at the stage of wanting to play with her in the garden, but after 6 years shut in a shed breeding babies, Rosely doesn't know how to play. Her main interest is her stuffed toys, baby substitutes I suspect.

2 Scooby Galgos living happily in Italy

It's lovely to have a happy rehoming story to publish, I hope you enjoy reading the story of Chiry and Maui.

'I am Marta Pedrali, I read all your articles since I adopted a galgo. I adopted a beautiful black and white galgo two years ago and a brown one last year. I love them so much and I do not understand why people treat them in those ways in Spain and in other parts of the world. For this reason, I share my story, my daily life with my special galgos through a Facebook page called "Chiry the galgo & Maui" in order to make people understand how amazing life is with them and how sweet they are. I also volunteer in an Italian association that homes them, its name is "Progetto Galgo Onlus", we are in the province of Bergamo, Italy.

Paolo and I (Marta) are a couple that the 30th June of 2018 adopted, for the first time, a black and white galgo named Chiry. We adopted Chiry with the help of an Italian association called “Progetto Galgo Onlus”. Chiry comes from Protectora Scooby Medina in Spain. I chose him (it is a “he”) personally, after looking at the website of Protectora Scooby. On their database are plenty of dogs, I couldn’t choose at the beginning. But, when I noticed a photo with that face so sad and frightened, he caught my eyes and it didn’t take a long for me to understand that it was him, Chiry, that I would have surely adopted! Now, two beautiful and intensive years have been passed since that hot afternoon when Chiry came to us.

Galgos happy in their US forever home

Beth Travis has written the story of how she came to be involved with galgos and the ones she adopted.

'The pics I have attached Pablo (tri-colored) and Cisco (white) and Drogo (brindle).

I have always had 2 dogs so that when I am at work they can keep each other company. When my one dog passed away of old age I was looking for a companion for my other dog. I don’t have children so my dogs have always been the focus of my life to love and spoil. I was talking about it at work when a co-worker said I have a Galgo from Spain and I am fostering a Galgo Whippet mix. My response was “what the heck is a Galgo”. Most people in the US have never heard of a Galgo and as soon as I saw his picture I fell in love with him. I called him Pablo and was told the family that first adopted him returned him because he hid in the closet. My co-worker was trying to get him socialized so he could be adopted to his forever home. He came from out of state from a woman who brought a couple galgos from Spain and was cross breeding them with other breeds of dogs. But it seemed to be more of a puppy mill where they were just kept in cages and not socialized.

Galga Faith - a happy ending for an abandoned galga

Here's a lovely rehoming story from Ann Marie Payne of Ann's Canine Care.

'My gorgeous Faith, my New Year Baby. - First one through the door on New Years Day

Abandoned and left fending for herself on the streets by another sub human galguero.

Last week she left me and went into TRACES to start her journey to her lovely new mum Sam Phipps who lives in the UK
But what makes this adoption so special is the fact that Sam not only lives in the UK but, also lives in the same street as Lisa Pratt who adopted my adorable Patty, who was living in atrocious conditions and was also being threatened by her sub human galguero.

Galga Heidi living happily with her cat pal

A lovely photo from Ann Marie Payne of Ann's Canine Care.

'Remember my gorgeous sweet, smiley dog Heidi, now called Happy who went to Sweden to Annika Lindh. Here she is with her best pal Bangi.

If you're considering adopting a dog, and I know times are tough right now but, please consider a Galgo. They bring so much love into your life, and there are so many needing loving homes,

Please would you give the page a like so we can reach more people and spread the word how wonderful these dogs really are as pets

Our page https://www.facebook.com/annscaninecare/

Our teaming group https://www.teaming.net/ann-scaninecare. Please join if you can

Thank you
Ann and the dogs

Introducing Henry.

Henry and Chris's story:

As an eighteen-year-old in the 1980s, Phoenix, Arizona, I remembered hearing stories of dead greyhounds being found in the desert with bullets through their skulls. This was horrifying. Back then I made a commitment to adopt a greyhound one day. That day came many years later but I did it and Henry brightened up my life. He was an eighty-five-pound brindle and white furred creature. His skull was misshapen and this caused his eyes to be pulled back a bit as if he has "had work done!" He was adorable.

I adopted Del Sol Henry in 2018. His adoption catapulted me into this amazing and unique greyhound cult that I never knew existed! Henry and I attended nail trimming parties, and give your dog a bath events! There are dress your dogs like a pirate parties and dog park socials! There were beautiful collars for sale and matching leashes, t-shirts, necklaces, calendars!! I loved being a part of the greyhound community.

The Accidental - should it be failed - Fosterer!

How many of you are like me, failed fosterers?! Jan in the US is one, for sure! Here's the story of one of hers.

I have been crazy about greyhounds for years. I did my research and was sure that this was the dog for me. I adopted my first greyhound about three years ago from Regap of Illinois. Once I felt comfortable having a big dog in my house (greyhounds aren’t really that big but I have always had small terriers) I started thinking and hoping to add a second hound to my family. Unfortunately my Mom was not too happy with the idea of adding a third dog to the house. I already had a wired hair fox terrier and two parrots besides my greyhound Luka. She felt it would be too crowded and crazy with a third dog.

Change your life - adopt a greyhound or galgo

A lovely rehoming story from Janet Brinegar.

HOW I MET LUKA AND HOW HE CHANGED MY LIFE

I had been interested, OK, obsessed with retired racing greyhounds for over 20 years but the time was never right to bring one into my life. About 11 years ago I noticed that the greyhounds were going to be at a local Petco store doing meet and greets from Thanksgiving to Christmas. It was right across from my Mom’s favorite restaurant.

After lunch we went over to the store to see the hounds. When I told the meet and greet rep that I had always wanted a greyhound she asked why haven’t I sent in my adoption application. My Mom was the sticking point. I had a very lively wired haired fox terrier at home along with two parrots. Everyone had to get along. I had never had two dogs at the same time before. The rep suggested I bring my fox terrier Scout in to see how he got along with the hounds. A week later I did just that and found that Scout was not afraid of them or overly interested in them. This could work.

From a perrera to Scooby to Canada and a forever home

Mary Macdonald is a member of GPAC - Galgo and Podenco Rescue Canada - and last May travelled with 2 friends to Spain to take back 5 podencos and a galgo. Here she tells of how Chaval joined her family in Canada.

'Chaval is a Galgo from Scooby Medina. He was rescued from a Perrera at the age of eight months. When looking at Scooby's website and available dogs - a task that is not easy because they all deserve a loving home - Chaval caught my interest because he had been at the rescue so long. When I inquired about him I had learned he had been there so long because he was considered a “ cripple “. He had an old calcaneus fracture of his right hind leg from some unknown trauma. I decided I would adopt him regardless and in May 2018 he became a part of my family.

He had some health issues when he arrived, excessive water drinking and excessive peeing and he needed to gain weight. After a few tests he was diagnosed with Diabetes Insipidus, which is managed by Desmopressin drops in his eye twice a day for life and he started to gain the weight he needed. After I got a diagnosis and treatment, I had his leg X rayed, not thinking anything could really be done since it was such an old fracture.

From death row in Gesser perrera to home life in Switzerland

In December 2012 I posted an appeal for help for some galgos in Gesser Perrera, Cadiz. The staff were leaving for Xmas holiday and putting down the dogs in the perrera. Here is the story and some delightful photos of one of the lucky ones, saved and now living a lovely life in Swizerland. Marianne tells her story.

'We got her through Lavida "https://www.facebook.com/Tierschutz.LAVIDA/" that was the association, but the contact person in switzerland was "Jackys Hundehort". I don't remember the name of the spanish shelter where she came from to Switzerland. I just remember that the Spanish woman (who gave her the name Linda) was very caring. I met her at the airport in Zurich.'

Always lovely to read a happy ending. Enjoy these photos of Linda.