I’ve been writing and publicising about the podencos for several years, since I started helping a French rescue association bring galgos and podencos from Spain to France for rehoming. I’ve fostered many and helped rehome them too, plus adopted one of my own, seen here with my galgos.
In general the galgos get more publicity because of the huge numbers abandoned every year, especially hung in the olive groves. But life in Spain for the podencos was and still is no different, just not in quite such huge numbers. And life for the podencos on the Spanish islands got and gets very little publicity atall. Which is why I have worked to help them too.
The podencos used to be called ‘The Great Forgotten’ but in the last couple of years there has been an ‘explosion’ of interest in podencos, mostly through publicity on facebook.
Now they are known as ‘The Invisibles’ and the reason for this is from the publicity generated – including on these pages – showing the podencos on death row in the various killing stations in Spain, especially in Valencia province where there seems to be a concentration of hunting with podencos.
It’s great that many of these hounds have been saved but what happens to them after that? They are either taken by rescue associations for rehoming or go into residencias (kennels) where they wait for adoption. And many of them wait and wait…
These are THE INVISIBLES.
Until these Invisibles are adopted, the refuges and shelters are often full – especially at the moment now hunting is drawing to a close – and can’t take in any more dogs. They need your help. They need their dogs adopting for life in approved homes.
Podencos are loyal, affectionate, make good agility dogs and can also be couch potatoes! Not all of them have a hunting instinct; in training this can be used to advantage for seek and find.
There are several different types of podenco from the small Maneto and Erbano to the medium size Orito and Podenco Andaluz up to the larger Podenco Ibicenco and Podenco Canario and the biggest – the Podenco Campanero.
Below are links to some of the rescue associations where podencos have been waiting months, sometimes even years, for someone to adopt them. Please take a look – let’s not get carried away by the dogs in the perreras – let’s help the dogs already rescued and waiting…and waiting…
SARA Protectora click union jack English
Ibizan Hound Rescue
SOS Animals
Adaana
Animales Rioja
Pepis Dog Refuge
Podencoworld click on select language English
and Podenco Friends Bev Farmer with over 30 podencos of all sizes and ages (website under construction)
There’s also a list of podenco rescue & rehoming associations here
And a description of the different types of podenco on the left-hand side of the homepage.
Every home should have a podenco!
They shouldn’t be on the street like this – one of several in Segorbe!
And others abandoned, being fed, one which had a collar encrusted in its neck, no room in the refuges for them!
Comments
2 responses to “The Invisibles – every home should have one!”
when i can finally get one beryl it will be a big one i love my big dogs and my oldie black beuties i know you dont come a cross many black pods but any colour would do me as long as they are big and get on with my dogs already here i know a lot of them have been waiting for a long time and people should addopt but when you see a pod or a gal in a kill station its heart breaking and they deserve a chance aswell the ones already in rescue are safe and loved and i know it plays on the rescues financial situation and they cant take the poor souls off the street its a catch 22 for us all except the b——- who cause this problem i could spit in the face of these responsible with such rage
Beryl, I totally agree and looking at those pictures is heartbreaking. I would love a pod but just can’t have one at the moment because me and husband work full time, shift work so dogs are not on their own all the time, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to have dogs at all, which doesn’t bear thinking about. This means we have to consider the type of dog we have too. So we have the older, steadier less energetic dog because we consider the dogs first and foremost. However things will change in the future and then I would absolutely love a pod. I think they are just wonderful dogs, active, intelligent, loving, energetic and I do hope that more of the pods start getting homes. I agree that every home should have one and definitely want to provide a home for a pod in the not too distant future. In the meantime I shall carry on donating and trying to spread the word. That is a lovely picture of your dogs and I like the idea of having four, although I know that you have five now with Polar!