Author: Beryl Brennan

  • Podenco Spirit with Refugio La Candela

    Refugio Candela Spirit 400 1 12 2016
    Two years ago this little podenco was rescued – shot in the mouth and without his lower jaw.

    Update on Podenco Spirit 21 10 2018 – The journey THAT SAVED SPIRIT’S LIFE

    Two years of struggle, of love, but above all of survival, Of making possible the impossible and of not admitting, even for a second, an ending other than this one.

    A journey in which we traveled many kilometers to bring back our hearts full of love and compassion: full of gratitude for all your efforts, which made it possible for Spirit to be treated in the best hospital in Spain.

    Today Spirit lives with Lucia in the Sanctuary where he has found his family: everything we had promised him and that finally, thanks to your help, we have been able to give him.

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  • Podenco Ricardo – from a hard life in Spain to a comfortable home in Italy

    Another moving story from the world of Podenco Friends. Bev Farmer tells the story of Ricardo.

    ’21 10 2017

    Ricardo arrived yesterday and we took him to our vet. The first round of blood tests that have come in are good and we wait for more detailed lab reports which will be here next week… This just could be a case of neglect and Ricardo is suffering from the effects of malnutrition. He his 30% below his normal body weight. Under his coat he is skin and bone with a number of pressure sores. His lungs and heart sound good so the laboured breathing could be due to stress or he is just exhausted and his body is depleted.

    Next week we will return to our vet with him for xrays and a ultrasound just to make sure there is no other reason for him been in such a terrible condition. He has had a bath as he smelt like rancid cheese and now smells a bit sweeter. His DOB declared in his passport is 5th September 2005 which makes him 12 years old but still he should not have ended his final days in a perrera. Ricardo is a real gentleman I bet he has some stories to tell.

    Update 22 10 2018.

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  • Podenco Rio completes the Santiago de Compostela route

    Podenco Rio walked the Santiago route 400 12 10 2018
    You may remember I recently published the story of Podenco Rio, found as a stray by a couple walking the Santiago de Compostela route, and who was adopted by them. On 12th October they arrived at their destination, as Bev Farmer of Podenco Friends reports.

    Team Rio Jennifer Mark and Rio completed the Camino today, as they collected their “Compostela” Jennifer added Rio’s name to it for he was very much part of their journey.

    They cycled a lot of the journey with a special back pack to keep Rio in … ‘Im not sure what would be an ideal number of kilometers to walk your dog each day I suppose if depends on their fitness and of course you could not be walking in the high temperatures.

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  • Podenca bids for freedom, pays the ultimate price

    Bev podenco with chain 400 17 10 2018
    From Bev Farmer of Podenco Friends.

    The fate of so many Podencos .. Ruth discovered this poor girl by the road side, a metal chain around her neck; maybe making a run for freedom, she paid the price and lost her life.

    Arrangements are being made to collect her. RIP sweet girl, you have gone to a better place

  • Bed sharing!

    Galgos 112 andy and cherry 400 10 2018
    Had to share this lovely photo with you – Andy and Cherry keeping snug!

  • Podencos Cheek to Cheek

    Bev nose to nose cheek to cheek 400 10 2018
    Another of Bev Farmer’s stunning photos

  • Lanzarote Mum pod and babies in perrera – please help

    From Bev Farmer of Podenco Friends – desperate for podencos on Lanzarote

    ‘As much as it gives us a sense of joy when we share the successful adoptions, the reality is we have to rescue these dogs from difficult circumstances and this is where it all starts.

    Laura of the Kennel Club on Lanzarote and myself created a joint project “Saving the Lanzorote Podencos” and have worked together for over 4 years helping the Podencos on the island. Last week we had 4 fly over to Spain and we thought we had finally caught up and time to breathe. Sadly it just doesn’t work like that and over a couple of days the perrera had 6 adult podencos and a puppy ranging from 6 months to 10 years old handed in along with some other dogs.

    This place has very limited facilities, the dogs were over-crowded in small kennels and fights broke out and a couple of the Podencos were injured, So it begins …

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  • Podenco Rene finds his forever family

    Polly Rene 3 400
    You may remember earlier in the year I posted an appeal for a forever home for Podenco Rene, who sounded the perfect hound. Well, good news, his forever home has been found. Here is the update from Polly Mathewson.

    ‘Happy, happy, happy news for our sweet Rene podenco –

    RENE HAS A FAMILY AT LONG LAST. It’s been such a long wait for Rene to find his forever home with lots of false starts over several years since we saved this beautiful, cheeky, gentle soul from a terrifying fate in the pound in Spain: too often the tragic circumstances of this most abandoned and abused of breeds.

    Happily Rene has been so well cared for and loved in his foster-kennels with Becky Reed and Allison Reid since then, all my heartfelt thanks to them for giving him such safety and fun with their other rescue dogs, and I know they will miss him a lot. But it is the best news that Rene will be moving to a family of his own this December when his forever Mum Deborah Ashton retires and she and Steve are going to give him the loveliest life imaginable: lots of walks in the Lake District, trips off in their new caravan (Rene fans know how he loves a road trip), a sofa to nestle on and a big garden, and above all so much love for this most affectionate of lads.

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  • Canary Islands, Tenerife – hell on earth continues for many podencos

    Tabrirma Onassis Jaky sends this video. Hopefully you can view it, it is on facebook. If not, it shows dozens of podencos of chains about 1 metre long with small wooden kennels in a rural area in the midst of a vegetable growing area.

    Barranco de Santos, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

    https://goo.gl/maps/t3NcthdGnVz