The Spanish Grey Hound :an ordeal

In Spain many greyhounds are abandoned and not all cases end well. "Greyhounds are found severely beaten, burned alive, doused with acid, thrown into wells, in caves and abandoned tied to death, hanged or tortured in other ways," according to the complaint letter from the Intergroup for Animal Welfare of the European Parliament in 2011 . In recent times Animalist Pacma Party and other associations have been protesting against abandonment or extermination of the greyhounds at the end of the hunting season. The 10.4% of stray animals and animals collected in refuges in Spain, were the result of the end of the hunting season, according to the results of the Study of Animal Neglect 2010 that made the Affinity Foundation. The figure increases in places like Extremadura province where it reaches 30.4% or Castilla La Mancha province which comes to 21%.

These animals are used for hunting in the open, a mode in which the dogs (usually run in pairs), without the help of his owner, hunting a piece (especially rabbits) after a chase, but are also used in the big game hunts. In the hunts the hunters move in single file , walking in silence until the hare jumps and begins a frantic flight. Then the cover man releases  the greyhounds and the chase begins. Each year marks a Championship of Spain which ends in mid-February, the last held in the town of Avila in Madrigal de las Altas Torres.

There are 180,000 in Spain galgueros(Hunters) caring” for about 500,000 greyhounds, according to the Spanish Federation of Greyhounds. According to the organization, which is dedicated to the promotion of hunting dog, abuse cases are therefore a minority. "The Federation", explained in a statement, "has conducted a study which shows that the greyhound breed is the one that receives most  attention in real time from their owners, around four hours a day  is devoted exclusively to the greyhounds, playtime, walks, feeding, cleaning, training, vet and hunting. The rest of the day the relationship is similar to that of any dog ​​or hunting companion, as appropriate. " They argue, too, that the hunting of hares with greyhounds preserves other protected species inhabiting the same ecosystem as the hare, as are various prey, the Houbara bustard or, among others. The Federation shows its total rejection and condemnation of the abuse and neglect of greyhounds.

Others oppose frontally to continue this practice. "The hunting dog is a hunting activity using the animal as a weapon. In other types of hunting, the dog does relief work, cornering the hunted animal, for example, but in this, the greyhound is the actual weapon, the shotgun, as galgueros(hunters) are unarmed, "said Cristina Garcia Rodero, president of the Greyhounds Without Borders association. "It's a mode that, although there is no common European law, is prohibited in one form or another in all EU countries," he says. From this partnership and others calling for the abolition of this form of hunting. Explain constantly receiving a trickle of emails notifying the occurrence of abandoned dogs, but at the end of the season there is a peak accused. "The worst problem is that the dogs kill them intelligence. It is assumed that when chasing the hare in the championships they have to do the same twists as she does and  turn at the same points, follow the same path. When the Greyhound realizes that cut diagonally to the path of the hare gains ground, grace is lost and is considered a 'dirty Greyhound "says García Rodero.

Over 15,000 greyhounds are rescued year, although the animal protecctionist assoiations estimate that about 60,000 are abandoned

Many greyhounds are later abandoned or worse, hanging, as is often seen in macabre images that reach international news. When a greyhound  is hang  with the hind feet touching the ground, it is said that he gets "to play the piano" because their front legs are in the position of the pianists. This is something like a terrible Spanish tradition. "They say that a greyhound is not worth a cartridge, so they use a rope to hang them," says the president of Greyhounds Without Borders. "Lately also burn them to avoid leaving any type of track." The thing is not new: in 1991, the Irish Racing Board, a body that regulates exports of racing dogs from Ireland, banned the export of these animals to Spain to avoind them   possible rotting hanging from a tree, which, of course, does not give a good image of Spain abroad.

Fortunately greyhounds are increasing their value as pets, perhaps due to the efforts made in various campaigns to promote adoption, and many of those who survive and are collected in shelters end up being adopted in Spain or abroad, as in some ofmy best patients like Blue,Torville, and Domino.Lovely dogs,loving friends faithfull and cuddley.

Extract from El Pais