I’ve been involved with the plight of the Podenco since 2007.  Bev Farmer of Podenco Friends was one of the first people I came to know.  One day I saw a photo of an old podenca dumped in a perrera and contacted Bev, to see if we could save her.  I would help with expenses etc.  This is the story from Bev.

‘Every year, Blanca’s post appears in my Facebook memories. 2013. 13 years ago. I will never let her be forgotten.

Blanca was 13 years old when her owner handed her into a perrera in Valencia. Paid the service fee knownIng that a dog of that age would never be adopted and be euthanized That was her reward after all those years of loyalty and service.When I arrived and went into her kennel, she was lying on the floor, unable to get up. I picked her up and felt every bone in her frail body, her breathing laboured , I knew she was in trouble. I was racing to get her to the vets… but we never made it.

Blanca died in the car on the journey home. For that last hour of her life, she lay on a soft bed, not a cold wet concrete floor. She wasn’t alone. She was gently stroked, kissed on her cheek, and spoken to with kindness.

Five minutes of love in an entire lifetime. That’s all she had.

I felt utterly helpless. No amount of money or access to the best vets could have saved her, it was simply too late. All I could give her was dignity in death. She was cremated with care, not thrown on a rubbish dump like so many others.

I cried for Blanca. She never knew what it felt like to live in a loving home. No doubt she produced litter after litter of podenco puppies, then once old and sick, was discarded like rubbish.

Blanca broke my heart, but she also changed my life. It was a pivotal moment. Did I really want to keep doing this, knowing the heartbreak that would come? I found myself at a crossroads was I cut out for the harsh reality of rescuing Podencos .

But a few days later, I found a finca. I paid six months’ rent upfront, packed up we started with six dog beds and four sacks of dog food, and Podenco Friends was born.

Blanca didn’t die in vain. Hundreds of Podencos have been saved because of her.

I will never forget her’