SOMBRA SHALL GO TO THE BALL

Sombra was the guest of honour at Toriki's wedding and, as you can see from the photo, both looked stunning . Toriki is the niece of Lola Bustillo who is a keen supporter of our cause.

We are very grateful to the Bustillos for taking the opportunity to show how a galgo is another member of the family in these beautiful photos. Thanks also go to the designers 'Los Pepes' who are always helping us out and who not only dressed the bride but Sombra too, designing a special collar for the occasion.

DO YOU WANT TO ADOPT RICHIE?

Richie is a wonderfully affectionate galgo who was found in Teruel with a broken back leg. We were told that his owner had abandoned him when he broke his leg and he had gone a year with the leg untreated. As you can see from the photo, the break had consolidated very badly. The traumatologist Xavier Totusaus, who kindly reduces his fees to help galgos in need, spent 3 hours operating on Richie’s leg. It was a very complicated operation as a nerve and surrounding blood vessels were trapped in the bone that had fused together.

We hope that Richie re-gains full use of his leg and that he finds a family that will treat him with as much love and affection as he has to give.

BUENO EN FRANCE!

Bueno was caught in a trap in a village near Seville called Valencina. He was found by Jose Luis who immediately called the local police. They proceeded to release the galgo and take photos of the scene with a view to prosecution as laying traps is an illegal practice. Bueno was transported to Veterinos clinic in Sant Cugat where the staff took great care of him, dressing and treating his wound daily. We're very grateful to Jose Luis and his family for rescuing him and for looking after him until he could be sent to us in Barcelona. We'd also like to thank Veterinos and all those who donate their time, effort and money to help galgos like Bueno. He is now in foster care in France where our colleagues at Le Relais des VIP Off Courses are seeking the perfect forever family for him.

FOUR GALGOS, FOUR STORIES

The following galgos were found injured and urgently needed SOS GALGOS' help.

1. Blanca
Blanca is a lively, young galga who was found in Almeria with a broken leg. She underwent surgery and was fitted with external fixators. As soon as she has recovered and the fixators removed, she will be adopted by one of our members who has two other dogs and a big garden.

2. Gabo
This beautiful, black galgo also needed external fixation of his leg which was broken when he was run over twice in Jerez. Once he recovers from his leg injury, he will be go to live with his forever family and their golden retriever in Esplugas.

3. Lola
Another injured galga, she was fitted with a prosthesis to mend her broken leg. Once it was removed, she was spayed and is now ready to travel to France for adoption.

4. Shiva
She was founded abandoned in Seville and needed a plate to be surgically inserted in her leg.

PLAN TO EXPORT IRISH GREYHOUNDS TO CHINA BLOCKED

The Irish Greyhound Board's plan to export greyhounds to Chinese racetracks was blocked by the Department of Agriculture in May of this year. The proposal to send racing dogs to a country where animal welfare standards are notoriously low caused widespread alarm amongst animal protection groups, including SOS Galgos. Director Anna Clements travelled from Barcelona to Dublin in April to join representatives of other greyhound rescue associations from around the world to protest against this cruel injustice to greyhounds. The agreement would have been a "business opportunity" for the Irish Greyhound Board with no regard for the welfare of greyhounds, abandoned to their fate in a country that routinely kills dogs and cats for their fur and meat. Whilst on this occasion protests were successful, greyhound defence groups must continue their fight to protect greyhounds' rights within an industry that capitalises on the greyhound's speed at the expense of its welfare.

PROGRESS: BULLFIGHTING BANNED IN CATALONIA

After months of petition signing and campaigning, the Catalan parliament voted against this cruel spectacle that has no place in contemporary Spain. This is an important step forward in animal welfare in Catalonia, let's hope that the rest of Spain follows by their example. The ban will be implemented as of January 2012 when Barcelona's last remaining bullring will be closed.

Whilst one barbaric tradition has been eradicated in Catalonia, the struggle for animal rights is by no means over as the practice of the "correbous" is widespread during local festivities in the south of Tarragona. Literally translated as the "bullrun", the 'sport' involves setting light to the cloth tied round a bull's horns, making it flee in terror of the fire. The villagers chase after the tortured bull which runs until it is exhausted or ends up jumping in the sea. Supporters of this inhumane practice justify its existence by the fact it is centuries old and the bull is not killed in the process but how can that justify inflicting terror and torment upon a sentient being in the name of 'fun'. Political and social pressure needs to continue until this cruel practice is outlawed along with bullfighting.

Sign the petition to stop cruelty to Spanish Greyhounds (Galgos)

PLEASE take few minutes and sign this petition to put pressure on the Spanish government and forward widely to go to get the long way as soon as possible to the 5000 target - hopefully many more.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/18/stop-cruelty-to-spanish-greyhounds-galgos

PETITION DETAILS

Stop cruelty to Spanish greyhounds (galgos)

Target: Don Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, President of the Spanish Government & the Council of Europe,

Sponsored by: Greyhounds in Need

You will find below the text of a Petition, initiated by Greyhounds in Need (GIN), addressed to the Spanish Government. It is especially important to bring this terrible cruelty to the fore at this time when Spain holds the Presidency of the Council of Europe.

The Treaties that form the European Community do not currently cover animal welfare so European-wide legislation is not possible and only the Spanish government can legislate to end the barbaric treatment of greyhounds in Spain.

Please add your signature to this Petition, before 30th April, 2010, so that we can show how widespread is European public concern.


Thank you,

Greyhounds in Need
33 High Street
Wraysbury
Middlesex TW19 5DA (UK)

Email: info@greyhoundsinneed.co.uk

Website: http://www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk/


To: Don Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Presidente del Gobierno de Espana

We, the undersigned, address this petition to the Spanish Government during Spain's Presidency of the Council of Europe. This petition is sponsored by Greyhounds in Need, an English registered charity devoted to the rescue, treatment and rehoming of Galgos Españoles, the native greyhounds used in Spain for hunting.

It is very well known in Spain and abroad that these dogs are routinely abandoned or killed by their owners at the end of their first hunting season. Such killing is sometimes carried out by extremely inhumane methods including hanging and is often accompanied by mutilation including branding and other forms of physical injury. Many galgos are simply abandoned, having been neglected, or have obviously been mutilated to disguise their identity. The welfare groups in Spain, which are signatories to this petition, have ample recent evidence that these barbaric practices continue unabated. Concerned people in Spain estimate that over 50,000 galgos are killed or abandoned each year.

As a measure of the size of this problem, we would inform you that Greyhounds in Need alone spends some Euros 130,000 each year on its work in Spain and in rehoming elsewhere, dealing with only a small fraction of the galgos abandoned. To this must be added the considerable sums expended by the many rehoming groups in the UK and other European countries, and the Spanish refuges who help export galgos.

We call on the Government of Spain, during its term of office in the Presidency of the European Union, to enact and enforce humanitarian legislation to protect the galgos of Spain from such barbaric treatment. This would help bring Spain to its rightful position alongside other European nations in according proper standards of protection to its animal population. It would also free foreign charities from the burden of coping with the results of this lack of protection.

This plea is supported by many Spanish citizens and organizations, who fervently wish to see their great nation giving proper respect and humanity to these suffering creatures.