Advocacy for Galgos and Podencos is a bit of a slippery slope
Dog hunting is medieval tradition deeply ingrained in the Spanish culture. But since Galgos and Podencos are considered “working dogs,” they are accorded few rights and protections.
And while Spain has instituted several national animal cruelty laws to help stem the worst of the abuse, the new legislation has proven mostly ineffective. That’s because without the voluntary cooperation of the galgueros themselves, it’s unlikely the situation will ever change.
Indeed “despite high-profile prosecutions of a handful of galgueros who threw their dogs down wells, the perpetrators of the vast majority of … (the) killings or abandonings (sic) never get punished because they’re hard to catch red-handed,” according to a seminal story in National Geographic.
At Galgopod.org, we take a different tack. We work to foster solutions by:
- Encouraging adoption of Galgos and Podencos as an alternative American greyhounds, which are now in short supply due to diminished racing.
- Directing resources to centers that rescue, rehabilitate and relocate abused and abandoned Galgos and Podencos.
- Supporting U.S. and Canadian groups that champion the rescue and adoption of Galgos and Podencos.
- Creating a tipping point of international opposition to the shameful treatment of these animals through expanded press attention.
- Helping concerned individuals tell their own Galgo and Podenco stories with resources from our Media Tools.