In just a few days, our team is traveling to Spain to stand alongside local partners and animal welfare organizations in defense of Galgos, Spanish greyhounds who suffer unimaginable cruelty in the name of hunting.
Every year, Galgos are used by local hunters to chase hares during hunting season, which runs from October through February. During this time, many of these dogs are kept in terrible conditions. They are often starved and denied water, so they will hunt harder. They are not treated like living, feeling animals, but like tools.
When hunting season ends, the suffering does not stop. Many Galgos are brutally killed, beaten, hanged, or buried alive. Others are abandoned on the side of the road, injured, frightened, and left to survive on their own. These dogs did nothing wrong. They are gentle, loyal, and trusting, yet tens of thousands are discarded every year once they are no longer considered useful.
On February 2, SPCA International will join local partners and animal welfare organizations in Barcelona to march for the rights of Galgos. Together, we will raise awareness about the pain these dogs endure and urge the Spanish government to enact and enforce stronger animal welfare laws. This march is about raising awareness, promoting accountability, and driving change.
Our work in Spain will not stop there. We will be meeting with local officials to push for stronger protections for animals. We will also host educational workshops geared towards elementary school-aged children to help teach compassion and responsible treatment of animals to future generations.
We will also travel to regions where Galgos are used for hunting and where they are frequently abandoned after the season ends. We aim to rescue some of these dogs and get them the care and safety they deserve.
This will be an emotionally challenging journey. Witnessing suffering firsthand is never easy. But it is necessary. Galgos cannot speak up for themselves, so we must be their voice.
We will be sharing updates from Spain on our social media channels as this important work unfolds. Please stay tuned, stand with us, and help us fight for a future where Galgos are protected, valued, and treated with the compassion they deserve.
Together, we are asking for change.