Plight of the Galgo <Spanish Greyhound>

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dogmom

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One of my co-workers is involved with Greyhound rescue and she informed of the Spanish sighthound breed called the Galgo, which are bred and used only for hunting rabbits in Spain, and when the hunting season is over, these beautiful dogs are hung alive and otherwise cruelly "disposed" of, often at "killing stations". There is a rescue organization in Spain with a branch or related group in North America, to bring awareness of this situation and to help rescue the dogs.
http://www.scoobynorthamerica.org/situation-in-spain.html
 
It's sad, but we have a lot of dogs right here dying in shelters.

We need to take care of our own first.
 
Oh yes, I know, including dogs I work with at the shelter I volunteer..dogs I've worked with there and lost. My first two dogs that I worked with as a volunteer at that particular shelter, in that shelter's behavioral volunteer program, were the sadly all-too-common - pittie, a type I love. A large male. and one of "my" <not a dog of mine personally> black-and-tans. A Rottie - and a female. Similar in size to my current two. Both dogs could not stay stable long enough to go to a new home and did not leave the shelter.
 
dogmom said:
Oh yes, I know, including dogs I work with at the shelter I volunteer..dogs I've worked with there and lost. My first two dogs that I worked with as a volunteer at that particular shelter, in that shelter's behavioral volunteer program, were the sadly all-too-common - pittie, a type I love. A large male. and one of "my" <not a dog of mine personally> black-and-tans. A Rottie - and a female. Similar in size to my current two. Both dogs could not stay stable long enough to go to a new home and did not leave the shelter.
Click to expand...

My older daughter was a shelter volunteer for some time and it's really heartbreaking.

Our local shelter is our charity of choice and we give and donate all we can.

Our does a good job, sometimes rehoming animals after more than a year, and have several programs such as foster care, and a running club where people can go in and take a dog out about the town. The dogs wear special vests that lets people know they are available to adopt.
 
Yes, it's heartbreaking. I try to focus on the positive outcomes of dogs in loving homes...and on the fact that for a while at least the dogs who don't go home were loved and safe. For a while.
I started volunteering at shelters in high school and continued through college. Prior to the start of this current shelter's behavioral/training volunteer program, most all the dogs that we have worked with through that program, would have gone to the Bridge instead. There was no behavioral department. So far we've had a few hundred pass through this program and have been adopted. A couple of years ago we had a pregnant mom surrendered on the eve. of what turned out to be her whelping - 13 puppies. She and babies were fostered at the Behavior Department Manager's house. I and some other volunteers spent time helping to clean and enrich the area where they were staying and took part in infant puppy socialization and first learning experiences. It was so amazing and powerful to see the impact of the handling and work with 1-day old puppies..,and to see most of that same litter as adults, a year later, at their year-old party at the shelter. Mom was at the party, too and yes, she was spayed. We have video at home here hub took when he went with us to that foster person's house, to help out and we all took the puppies on their first walk outdoors. :D

With those two I mentioned in the last post, I know the shelter reached out to various rescues and I personally spent hours calling around to try and get them into rescue also and there was just no option. It was emotionally very, very tough, being my first dogs in this setting, to lose. And a Rottie, too.
Since then I've worked with quite a few dogs whose time is limited and are in quarantine for bites. Not biting because they're "bad dogs" but because..stuff happened. Often on their last day I bring them something special, like a burger.

I'm glad your shelter is doing a good job and has those resources. We have something similar - adoption events "on the road" for the "general population" dogs and then with the dogs in my specific program - dogs who -can - go out to to public venues, I and others have taken a few out, wearing their "Adopt me" vests. Sometimes I take them to the dog bakery in the area, or to an outdoor seating spot like at Starbucks or something. We had a sweet older Hound-mix male who I took to our home and let him explore our yard, as we had agility equipment out there <not up in the new house yet> and it was a very woodsy/"brush-y", large yard for an urban lot, and that way he got a nice car ride <he enjoyed riding> and got to smell around our yard and see some new things.
We have a few dogs currently in foster, of the dogs in my program.
We also have tons of kids' activities and clubs involving humane education.
 
I wish I could foster but my job prevents me from having any more dogs as I work 17.5-32 hour shifts at a time

I've had mutts growing up but the lastest dog is a pittie and I've since have a strong preference for this group of dogs.
 
dogmom said:
One of my co-workers is involved with Greyhound rescue and she informed of the Spanish sighthound breed called the Galgo, which are bred and used only for hunting rabbits in Spain, and when the hunting season is over, these beautiful dogs are hung alive and otherwise cruelly "disposed" of, often at "killing stations". There is a rescue organization in Spain with a branch or related group in North America, to bring awareness of this situation and to help rescue the dogs.
http://www.scoobynorthamerica.org/situation-in-spain.html
Click to expand...

:shock: it's just as inhumane. Everywhere in the world. Dogfighting, dog meat, this, racing greyhounds etc makes me sad.

I know a speciality cat rescue is bringing in eygpt Persians due to bad conditions in Eygpt.
 
I sad to say a lot of x grey hounds are killed here when they finished racing...some arse up north shot over 20.000..the hounds who go to grey hound charity are lucky and they make wonderful pets...I think people who got sense of decentsy and care for animals should lobby that country where ever we live....that story well upset me
 
My wife and I do alot of work for a local Greyhound rescue organisation. The plight of the greyhound is indeed a sad one.
There are calls for Dog Racing to be banned over here - in light of the recent live-baiting and animal cruelty revelations, but as long as it's still bringing in money for the Government in the form of tax it'll never happen.
 
:ty:everyone for looking and commenting...yes, I was aware of the Greyhound efforts in this country-U.S. - but hadn't known about Spain til my co-worker explained to me.

Some years ago we had our first dog and at that time looked for a second dog to add to the family. One of the ideas we had was an ex-racer. We applied for and were approved for a Greyhound off the track and went to see him. After some consideration and discussing with people we decided that maybe the boisterous, heavily physical ability and play style of my 2 year old 86 pound Rottie, would not be the best match for the thin-skinned, light-bodied Grey so we didn't go with a sighthound but they are wonderful....I miss my co-worker's girls, she used to bring them into the store. They are/were both elderly; she lost her 13 year old a few months ago and she doesn't bring in her other girl much at this point.
 
I know a of woman that rescue a Greyhound and she said her dog was afraid to sit down b/c when it was a race dog the poor dog would get a zap in it rear end every time it tried to sit down. :( It's horrible how the dogs are killed when they can no longer win a race. :( I voted to put a ban on dog racing in my state.
 
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