From Sandy Galgoslover

‘This week we not only welcomed little Susie but also this beautiful girl Africa joined our podenco pack.
This wirehaired is not afraid at all and very social with other dogs. She immediately found or rediscovered a soul mate, Norman.

Both come from Mazarrón perrera and who knows, maybe they recognize each other. By the way, we often wrongly read the name: killing station, not every perrera is a killing station. Life in the perrera is obviously not ideal, but volunteers do their utmost to make it as pleasant as possible for the animals.

Thanks to the help and support of Friends of Mazarrón Animals these 2 now get a new chance in life, thank you

Video of podencos at play

Wishing all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2022, and everything you wish for yourselves.

The latest news from PACMA

‘In October 20231 the Ministry of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda “presented” its preliminary draft of the Animal Protection Law at a public event. A month and a half later, the only thing that is published on its website is a draft of the preliminary project, and the hearing and public information process has not been opened.

From the beginning we warned that this law left out most of the animals: the victims of livestock, hunting, experimentation laboratories, bullfighting … But also, at this rate, the legislature will end without the animals having a animal protection law at the state level, the false promise of Podemos at electoral time. Once again, animals are the most neglected, relegated to the background and vilified.

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My first galga, adopted in 2007, became ill and the eventual diagnosis was Pemphigus Foliaceous. This story is the first time since then that I have come across the condition in a dog. This is the story of Elsa, with Galgos del Sol.

Date of birth: 10/10/16

Elsa is looking for a new home. A few months back she was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, pemphigus, which we have been treating here. It manifests with crusty nose lesions as shown in the photo below. Pemphigus is not contagious and of a genetic disposition. The vet where she was homed was unsure of a treatment plan. She’s been treated with steroids and has responded well. Elsa’s symptoms have cleared up and she’s back to normal for now. It’s possible and likely she will have flare ups and the treatment would always be the same — three weeks of steroids. In many cases there can be very few flare ups and the dog can live a normal life. However, when there is a need, case management is essential. Elsa loves to be with other dogs, she’s quite shy but does come around. If you are interested in taking on a case and a lovely dog like Elsa please contact us galgosdelsol@hotmail.com

Elsa has not had an easy life. This is her heartbreaking story.

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From Bev Farmer of Podenco Friends.

‘A post Ive waited some years to be able to write.

Flynn has been here at the finca a number of years, a special needs Podenco he has been passed over so many times and he just needed that family who would understand him ..

Well the good news is, Flynn has a family waiting for him in Canada!!! A family with many years experience of shy timid dogs that need the support time and patience to learn about a different world, outside the safety of the finca.

I am so happy for him, he arrived so shut down and broken and at first the only person he would allow close to him was me. But over time he has discovered that people are nice and in many ways he is a very happy fun loving dog but he does get worried in situations he is not comfortable with. He will have people that will help him overcome his fears of the unknown to live his life to the full.

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I thought you would love to see some pix of Esca’s 4 podenco pups. Bev is now having to bottle feed them as Esca could no longer do so when she went back to the vet clinic for surgery on her injured leg. Here’s Bev’s report on their weigh-in.

‘Weekly weigh in …

Ricardo 1254 grams + 304
Rico 1218 grams + 331
Vincent 1089 + 270
Bricelle 1046 + 286

The pups are feeding well after a bit of a bumpy start they had me worried .. No problem now they wait in line for the bottle mouths open waiting to grab hold.’

And a video of Ricardo complaining his feed is late!

And Ricardo dreaming…so cute!

https://www.change.org/p/eurotunnel-le-shuttle-reverse-draconian-decision-by-eurotunnel-costing-the-lives-of-rescue-dogs-around-the-world?fbclid=IwAR3R7X1TEAN-_YmGnOgq2ZVPCFv14wx2NwtHWEe8UHSH9s29X4ZCKDdvrbA

Probably born with a pen and paper in my hand, I have written all my life, from letters to penpals to articles in newspapers and magazines and since 2007 on my blogs Galgo News and Podenco Post. I’ve been passionate about animals – had dogs, horses and cats all my life – and have spoken out and protested about animal cruelty in any form.

My conversion to sighthounds happened in 1994 when a stray greyhound turned up at our farmhouse in Suffolk. Those were the days when no one would adopt a greyhound, rescues were overflowing with them and the unspeakable horrors of their end of life at the hands of breeders and trainers had yet to make headlines. Molly made a wonderful house pet, lived with cats and was a great ambassador for the breed with Pets As Therapy – she loved visiting the elderly residents of a local retirement home.

2002 saw my leaving the UK with horses, dogs and cats to live on a farm in rural France. A friend introduced me to L’Europe des Levriers and the rest – as they say – is history. I joined their rescue team and spent many years thereafter travelling into Spain to bring rescued galgos and podencos back to France for rehoming. I soon realised that the world was unaware of the terrible cruelty suffered by these wonderful hounds at the hands of the vicious galgueros both on mainland Spain and the Canary and Balearic Islands and my blogs Galgo News and Podenco Post were born in 2007.

My research on these trips resulted in my creating my definitive guides to the plight of the galgo – From Heaven to Hell – and the podenco – From Pyramid to Perrera – and thanks to some wonderful friends these have been translated into Spanish, French and Italian. Because of the nature of the pictures I was unable to find a publisher for the books, so had to bear the cost of publication myself. All the money raised from the sales of the books has been donated to appeals for help with vet fees and more to many rescue associations.

After 19 years living in France – and the loss of my last horse at 26 years old – I needed to downsize and return to my family in England. I brought back with me my last 2 galgos and tiny Podenca Bebe – all of whom have now crossed the rainbow bridge. So current residents in my small bungalow are Podenca Andaluz Rosely, rescued from a life breeding babies for a hunter, and blind Podenco Bocelli (Bo) who spent half his life on the end of a chain. I miss having a galgo but there just isn’t room for a third hound, sadly.

Little has changed in Spain for the galgos and podencos over the many years I have been helping the volunteers and rescuers – galgueros continue indiscriminate breeding, mass abandonment every year – but now there are very few reports of dogs being hung from trees or dropped alive down wells. Hunters still dump their dogs at shelters, in killing stations or loose in the campo. I have the utmost admiration for all the rescuers and volunteers who work tirelessly for the dogs and the Spanish vets who continue to put injured hounds back together.

I miss my regular trips into Spain to bring hounds back for foster and homing. I miss my visits to my friends in the various shelters around Spain. But time waits for no woman and physically I can no longer cope with the journeys or have room to foster more dogs. However, my work with the galgos and podencos and the many rescue associations continues daily on my blogs.