From the Animal Rescue Site:
There’s a sad statistic that no one wants you to know about:
In Spain, 50,000 Spanish Greyhounds (known as Galgos) are dumped, or killed, every single year— once the hare hunting season ends. These dogs are bred just to be used in the hunt, then abandoned or killed. This is a sick secret that is being kept and it’s NOT okay!
Valentina, one of these Greyhounds, was rescued just in time! Now, she will know what it feels like to be loved. Others, like Valentina, are waiting for a miracle and sharing this story can change their fate!
These dogs are bred solely for the benefit and entertainment of their heartless humans, and once the hunting season is over, they are left to die. Some will remain on the streets. Some will perish from hunger or lack of medical care. And some will be beaten, or worse, by their owner. For these people, the dogs are merely property to be discarded once their purpose is over.
Thankfully, rescue groups are trying to save these dogs. People, like Mari Carmen, rescue as many as they can and try to place them in forever homes.
Rescued Spanish Greyhound Will Finally Know What Love Feels
Like | The Dodo
Click to see the Video Here: https://youtu.be/JEwvtLUgIYY
Click to see the Video Here: https://youtu.be/JEwvtLUgIYY
Copyright 2017 The Animal Rescue Site.
To do more for these beautiful voiceless animals, please sign the petition:
To do more for these beautiful voiceless animals, please sign the petition:
Petition: ban the hunting with galgos in Spain:
Approximately 50,000 Spanish galgos (sighthounds) are annually killed or abandoned. Pondencos usually suffer the same fate. The wholesale abandonment takes place on a yearly basis in February. Spain is the only European country where it is allowed to hunt with galgos. Many dogs are now being adopted in European countries, but this, in the end, offers no solution to the problem. The hunt itself must be banned. February is approaching, so please sign this petition.
Ban the hunt with galgos and podencos in Spain. Sign the petition!
It is estimated that 190,000 Spanish hunters make use of galgos in the hare hunt. These hunting dogs are among the dog races that suffer the most in Spain: over a period of several years, the dogs are used for the hunt, and they undergo severe training to prepare them for this. An example of such a training is that the dog is tied to a car or scooter and forced to run when it is driving. In this way, they are being tested for endurance and speed, and this is what they are trained for. It is a tough life in which the animal continuously needs to excel. When the dog is no longer useful for the hunt, he is being abandoned or killed, the latter one often in a ruthless way.
Hunting dog as a toolOlga Lama Rodriguez works for the organisation Prado in Badajoz, Extremadura, one of the Spanish states known for the intensive hunt with galgos. Olga explains the way people from the region view the galgo.
“Galgos are not considered to be companion animals in Spain. They are tools to be used in the hunt. They are being tested and, if they prove not useful, discarded. In rural areas you will not see anyone walking their galgo or other hunting dog. In contrast to smaller dogs, they are not considered a part of the family… Nowadays, if you walk your galgo in a city in Extremadura, people will be perplexed, they think it is weird. Several times we have been approached by men with the question whether they could buy our galgos, or trade them, or even breed with them. If we explain that we do not use the galgos for the hunt or for dog races, they cannot believe us and they call us insane.”
The hunt with galgos mostly takes place in the departmental states of Andalusia, Castile and León, Extremadura, and Madrid.
Abandoned or killedIf the hunting dog no longer can live up to the expectations of the hunter, he will be abandoned or killed. Circa 50,000 galgos are annually discarded in this way, and the same happens to many podencos. For this reason, many hunting dogs roam the streets, and if they are not rescued for adoption, chances are that they end up run over on the Spanish highways. A part of them, however, awaits and even worse fate: hung to a tree, shot in a bag, left to die in a well, and only because the animal was no longer able to run on a high velocity, or because he took a shortcut during a race and, by doing this, stained the ‘honor’ of the hunter which leads to punishment.
SolutionIn the Netherlands we often see adopted galgos and podencos. This is great for the rescued dogs that have been adopted, but it offers no solution to the problem. Many galgos end up not adopted, roaming the streets or suffering a cruel death. The solution can be found in banning the hunt with galgos and podencos in Spain. In this way, the dogs will no longer suffer the severe training methods and hunting races that leaves them physically and mentally scarred, nor will they be subject to the annual abandoning or killing if they prove no longer ‘useful’ for the hunt.
DocumentaryPiepVandaag.nl made a documentary about the tough life of the galgo and the issues in Spain. In ‘Broken Spirit – The Galgo’s Last Run’, Karen Soeters travels to Spain and speaks with rescue groups, shelters, and galgueros (hunters) about the fate of the Spanish galgo. In Spain she meets Valentina, a galgo that was hung to a tree in several attempts by her owner, to die a slow death…
The video was made by Monique van Dijk Armor, Karen Soeters and Estefanía Pampín Zuidmeer. It is a production of PiepVandaag.nl and Cherry Blossom Productions.
For subtitles, please click on CC and select English.
Click here if link above doesn't work: https://vimeo.com/198363758
Petition- Please Sign:
February is gone but will return again soon. This means the start of the widespread abandonment of galgos as the hunting season draws to a close. PiepVandaag.nl, supported by DutchGalgoLobby, Greyhounds in nood Nederland, and Greyhounds Rescue Holland, requests you to sign this petition.
This petition is supported by DutchGalgoLobby, Greyhounds in nood Nederland and Greyhounds Rescue Holland.
Want to help out shelter animals without spending a dime?
Go to www.freekibble.com
Answer a question daily for dogs and cats and kibble is donated to feed them. Right or wrong, the answer doesn't matter.
Another way to help feed shelter animals without spending a dime is to visit and click the big purple box at:
Thanks for visiting my blog for the animals. It's always great to connect with another animal lover. If you and I don't speak up for them, who will?
Coins That Count:
Is your coin jar overflowing? Turn that loose change into cash that helps animals by donating to The HSUS at participating Coinstar machines nationwide. Where to go» Find a Kiosk near you...
Until next time….hug your animals. Tell them you love them. If you don’t have a pet, adopt one. Make adoption your first option when seeking a pet. Adopt. Don’t shop. Can’t adopt. Please consider fostering one. The animal will have the taste of home and the shelter will cover the expenses. Can’t foster? Make a donation or volunteer at your local shelter. Please, don’t hunt. Unless you’re starving down in a ditch somewhere, there is no logical reason to do so. Whatever you do, however you do it, please be a voice for the animals large and small. All it takes is one to make a difference, good or bad.
A victim of abuse.FYI: To find an animal in need of a home; to find an animal shelter near you, check out
https://www.petfinder.com
Remember, all types, ages, breeds, even purebreds are waiting to be adopted.
Together, you and I can make a difference in an animal's life. I’m one for the animals. Are you? Thanks for visiting. Stay safe. Be strong. Be happy. Smile. Show compassion. Be nice to one another. Pass it onward. If you like what you see here, please consider signing up to become a follower. Please feel free to share this post with others.
Regards,
S.J. Francis
S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "Good and bad, it's All About Family." Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at on-line retailers and independent booksellers. “Some secrets should remain that way.”
My Black Opal Books Author Page:
FYI: To find an animal in need of a home; to find an animal shelter near you, check out www.petfinder.com
Remember, all types, ages, breeds, even purebreds are waiting to be adopted.
My Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SJ-Francis/480058115420325
My writing Blog: http://sjfranciswriter.blogspot.com
A Book Review 4 U: http://abookreview4u.blogspot.com
A Consumer's View: http://aconsumersview.blogspot.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sjfrancis419/
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/33550975-s-j
And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2017 by S.J. Francis. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.
Remember, all types, ages, breeds, even purebreds are waiting to be adopted.
Make spare change make a difference for the wild. Join @CaringCent & purchases will be rounded & change
donated: https://donate.caringcent.com/#/go/wildearthguardians
Remember: Animals don't have voices. We must be their voice. Always. Forever. Wherever. whenever. I'm one for the animals. Are you?
