Category: History

by Anna Cooke; photography by Travis Patenaude, Stinkeye Photography

In Spain, when a hunting dog fails at their sport, dishonoring the handler, it is a tradition, based in part on superstition, to destroy the dog. The Galgo Español was initially bred and raised to hunt hare and rabbit for food. Now they are bred for the pure sport and entertainment of their owners. The dogs are often killed in an unethical manner, such as by hanging, poisoning, drowning, or stoning, on the belief that, the more painfully a dog dies, the better luck the hunter will have the following hunting season. 

Many Greyhound rescue groups around the world have been working with rescue groups in Spain that focus on saving the Galgo Español and Podenco. Greyhounds In Motion, a rescue and transport non-profit based in Central Florida, has been working with Galgos del Sol, a rescue group in Spain, for several years. 

“Most people in Greyhound rescue quickly become aware of the plight of the Galgo,” said Tracy Branan Robinson, president of Greyhounds In Motion. She traveled to Spain a few years ago with two board members to help with rescuing 100 Galgos through Galgos del Sol.

Galgo Español, or Spanish Greyhound as they are commonly known, and the Podenco (which means hound in Spanish) are members of the Sighthound group, dogs that hunt by sight and speed instead of by scent and endurance. Despite their similar physical characteristics, the Galgo is not related to the English/Irish Greyhound. Many theories  place the lineage of the Spanish Galgo with descendants of the Irish Greyhound, bred with the Sloughi or Deerhound, all specifically created to hunt rabbit and hare. There are a number of different Podenco types (at least eight) but only the Ibizan Hound is recognized by the American Kennel Club.

In medieval Spain, the Galgo Español was a companion of the Spanish aristocracy. Spain’s national hero, Diego Diaz de Viva (El Cid), used Galgo hounds for hunting. Galgos were held in such great esteem at the time, that if stolen, the thief paid the penalty with his life.

In recent years, with so many Galgos ending up as street dogs, miserably roaming in search of food and water, they were looked down upon as trash by the general population. However, through education and awareness campaigns that confront the barbarity, the breed has become more popular among city dwellers in northern Spain.

Rescuing Galgos in distress is not always easy or possible. “We all know that someone who is cruel to an animal can become violent towards people,” said Anna Clements, the co-founder and director of SOS Galgos. “And unfortunately, hunting is widespread and popular in rural areas of Spain, so dealing with hunters is very unpleasant.” 

Originally, hare hunting was done only as a means for food. Later it was organized as a sport, the so called “carreras de campo” or field races. Courage, power and hunting techniques of the dogs are evaluated. The tradition and rules of such competitions can be retraced to the Roman Empire. Today, many Spanish Galgo owners belong to small racing clubs, which regularly organize their coursings. They are all eager to be the best in Spain. To accomplish this, they must win the Copa de Su Majestad el Rey (cup of the king) in the final of the Spanish coursing championship.

Galgos are intelligent dogs who learn the “game” of hunting. The hunters, known as galgueros, have established certain rules for hunting, and a Galgo may pay dearly with its life if any of those rules are broken. For example, if a Galgo takes a shortcut to catch the hare, the rules have been broken, and dishonors the galguero. In some cases hunters will severely punish their dogs for this behavior, believing that the dog’s descendants will learn from it.

The practice of using hunting dogs to kill prey in an open field is prohibited everywhere else in Europe except Spain. Under Article 13 of the Lisbon Treaty, there is an exception for prohibiting certain forms of animal cruelty that are part of cultural traditions, religious rites and regional heritage. Galgos are exempt from animal rights legislation in Spain because they are working dogs, not considered a family pet. This is similar to the legal status of dogs in the United States, where they are considered property—more akin to inanimate objects than living beings.*

Once the hunter feels his Galgo is of no use to him, he is allowed to discard and/or destroy the dog, as if she were no more than a broken tool. According to animal advocates working to change the laws in Spain, and rescue groups such as SOS Galgos and Galgos del Sol, an estimated 60,000+ Galgos and Podencos are abandoned, mistreated or killed each year. 

Once the hunting season is over, which runs from October through January, many of the dogs are either abandoned, killed or maimed. It once was tradition to kill the dogs by hanging them from trees. While hanging still occurs in  rural areas, the preferred less visible method is to throw the dogs down a well, or break their legs so that they cannot return home, leaving the dogs to suffer and die alone. Animal advocacy groups call it Spain’s Dirty Little Secret. (It is similar to a dirty little secret in the United States: after hunting season is over, many hunting dogs are left behind in the woods to fend for themselves. Wandering from the woods onto the highway, they are often hit and killed – ending up as nothing more than road kill).

The hunters still own many Galgos, and continue to allow uncontrolled breeding. Meanwhile, rescue groups manage to save, on average, as many as 2,000 of these dogs each year. Multi-sensory hunters, Galgos have large, highly-mobile prick ears, keen eyesight and an acute sense of smell. All have been bred with a combination of speed and agility with endurance for trotting rather than galloping. They are agile to the point they have been known to climb trees in pursuit of prey and can jump great heights from a stand. 

Podencos, perhaps due to their cleverness and persistent focus, are even more persecuted. Curious and clownish, they have a profound awareness of their surroundings and a sensitivity to their humans. Podencos reward their human companions with great loyalty, affection and are wonderful family members. 

Oftentimes, volunteers who meet the Galgos for the first time instinctively treat them like a Greyhound. “While they are similar in looks, they have their own unique characteristics,” said Robinson, Greyhounds in Motion. “In the United States, when rescuing a retired Greyhound racer, we’re pretty familiar with the circumstances of their past, and what they are accustomed to. But, by the time we meet a rescued Galgo, more often than not, they have been living on the streets, and no one knows what they’ve been through or how they’ve been treated.”
Robinson has always had a soft spot for the underdog; the senior dogs or those with health issues. “We pull the dogs that have been overlooked, for whatever reasons,” Robinson said. “And, we have no problem finding adopters and fosters who want to take in and help these special-needs dogs. We have people lined up to want to help.”

Street smart, Galgos love stimulation like games and chasing after thrown balls. Bred and built for endurance, the Galgo or Podenco make great running partners, unlike the Greyhound who mostly enjoys being a couch potato. 
“The one takeaway that stays in my heart,” said Robinson, “is how resilient these dogs are. If people could learn to let go of the past like these dogs are able to do, we would all be so much better off.”

*Within the United States legal system, dogs are considered property, limiting their legal protections from abuse and cruelty. The Animal Legal Defense Fund is working to elevate animals’ legal status above mere property.
Visit www.aldf.org/issue/animals-legal-status

This feature first appeared in issue 44 of The New Barker dog magazine, 2021.