Follows from Part 1 and Part 2
Podencos by Region
From a number of regions the amount of registered dogs is known. Of the remaining regions it was for some reason not possible to get the figures. The figures are forming just an indication of the number of Podencos, because there are only a small amount of Podencos registered.
Andalusia
Andalusia has a population of 8.449.985, and is therefore the largest Spanish autonomous region according to the population. It is traditionally the region with the most hunters and the biggest number of hunting licenses: expedidas 252.779 + vigentes 558.285 = 811.064 licenses can be used for hunters for hunting (2013). When we take into account the comments of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the number is somewhere between 252.779 and 811.064 hunting licenses. However in Andalusia there are more licenses still valid from previous years than were issued, namely 558.285, it is the most logical to assume this number.
It is about approximately 50% of the total number of hunting licenses in Spain. The statistics of these regions form an important indicator for the number of Podencos in Spain.
Andalusia is the region of origin of the Podenco Andaluz, Campanero, Maneto, Orito, Paternino and Malagueño.
According to statistics of the Registro Andaluz de Identificación de Animal there are 2.291.747 dogs registered in Andalusia (2016). The most registered dog breed in the region Andalusia is the Podenco.
In 2017 there was a total of 469.424 dogs who were being used for hunting (perros de caza) in Andalusia registered, far more the largest part of these are Podencos. The number of 307.557 is obviously not the actual number of Podencos in Andalusia being kept by hunters. It’s known that only a minority of the Podencos are provided with a microchip, therefore registered.
There are shelters that say only 1 out of 4-5 Podencos that enter the shelter are chipped, while others say that only 1 out of 10 Podencos are provided with a chip, then there are also shelters that say that 99% of the Podencos entering are not microchipped.
Studies made by the Fundacion Affinity show that in 2016 only 30% of the total abandoned dogs in Spain are provided with a microchip. This is an average, because hunting dogs are most likely not chipped in contrast to dogs that are a part of a family.
It is also a well-known practice of hunters that when a Podenco hasn’t reached the approximate age yet in which a dog has proven its hunting skills, the owner isn’t willing to carry the costs of the identification. All over Spain there is a gap in the registration of Podencos between the age of 3-18 months, these animals seem to not exist.
There is a clear discrepancy between the number of licensed hunters and the number of registered hunting dogs in Andalusia. The number of 469.424 registered hunting dogs is absurd when we look at the amount of hunting licenses.
The actual number of Podencos in Andalusia would be approximately 900.000, however when we take into account the number of hunters in this region, the number of Podencos would be much higher because traditionally the majority of the hunters in Andalusia hunt with Podencos. Presumably there are at least 250.000 Podenqueros active in Andalusia.
The region Andalusia is one big hunting area, almost 97% of the territory, approximately 7.000.000 hectares.
This region has about 1.600 hunting clubs. There are 7500 reserves, 1553 are exploited for large game, 5958 for small game. The truth is that in the Andalusian rural world the hunting activity is very important, and a hobby that is 'not elitist'. The hunting activity is also a source of income for the Junta de Andalucía, which charges costs for every permit granted and also offers public domains every year, the winners paying the Andalusian government a fee. In Andalusia thousands of Monterias are held annually and the prices paid by a guest fighter vary from 150 to 9.000 or 10.000 euros. It is clear that these revenues are an important addition to an agricultural or livestock farm, for many of these companies the management of hunting is the only source of income.
Canary Islands
The number one hunting dog in the Canary Islands is the Podenco Canario. The number of Podencos on the islands will probably amaze you. Just for the sake of clarity here too there is a big difference between the number of registered hunters and Podencos and the actual number. At the moment, more than 20.000 hunters and approximately 90.000 Podencos Canario are registered on the islands. Several sources report that only in Tenerife the number of Podencos is already about 100.000. An average Podenquero has about ten to fifteen Podencos Canarios in his pack. The total number of Podencos on the islands is probably between 200.000 and 250.000. Nobody knows the exact number because checking this is a farce. When we talk about the Canary Islands in terms of animal welfare, we talk about 'The Wild West' of Spain, the laws are barely complied with by the hunters.
Source: https://www.podencoworld.nl/nieuws/1226-canarische-eilanden
It is notable that the president of the Federación de Gestión Cinegética de Tenerife says in an article in Diariodeavisos on 17/03/2017 that 170.000 dogs are used for hunting on the islands. While there are 94.099 hunting dogs with microchips registered with Zoocan, with which he in fact admits that many hunters do not register their dogs and thus do not comply with the law. (A tattoo is also recognized as identification, but only a minority of the hunting dogs have a tattoo.)
Video Podencos Mogan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jydAy-eqyY0
Extremadura
In Extremadura, 343.216 dogs were registered in January 2017, in Cáceres 133.728 and in Badajoz 209.488. After the crosses, the Galgo and Podenco are most often registered. Extremadura is one of the four regions where the Galgo is used intensively for hunting, also the Podenco is frequently used here, among others at the Monteria and rabbit hunting. Hunting and fishing is an important economic sector in this region that generates 400 million euro per year. In 2017 there were 90.000 hunters active in this region.
Source: http://www.elperiodicoextremadura.com/noticias/extremadura/perro-tres-extremenos_996350.html
Podencos and Podenco crosses are one of the most abandoned dogs in Extremadura. It is known that hunters keep more than five dogs in deserted places in the countryside, without a chip, without control and nobody knows that the dogs are trapped there. There are many animal protection organizations in Extremadura and they all have Podencos or Podenco crosses in their kennels.
People are afraid to adopt Podencos because they would be active.
The number of Podencos (and crosses) in this region is at least 80.000.
Valencia
The Valencia region is divided into three provinces: Alicante (1.732.389 inhabitants), Castellón (543.435 inhabitants) and Valencia (2.416.628 inhabitants). In the entire region of Valencia the Podenco is the most common dog because the Podenco is extremely suitable for the mountainous terrain that characterizes Valencia. In this region there are 567 hunting associations and 70% of the abandoned dogs in this area are Podencos. In many villages the majority of the inhabitants practice 'hunting sport'. For example, In Sagunto municipality in the province of Valencia, there are 3000 Podencos in the hands of hunters. In Canal de Navarres, a village with 3000 inhabitants, there are 600 connected to the hunting association, almost all of them hunt with Podencos.
In the province of Castellón there are 151.311 dogs registered, the Podenco after the
1. Cross Breeds 60.317
2. Podenco 21.936
3. Yorkshire Terrier 10.526
4. German Shepherd 8.708
5. Breton Espagnol 8.179
6. Brac 4.169
The fact that only a part of the dogs are registered, is evident from the data of the capital of this province where according to the database of the veterinarians (Rivia) 39.397 dogs are registered. However, according to the census of the government, there are 18.400. The explanation is simple, although according to the law all owners have to register their dog in the censo municipal, there are still many who don’t.
Source: http://www.elperiodicomediterraneo.com/noticias/castellon/mas-perros-nunca-castellon_1045977.html
Based on the number of hunters in Castellón and the fact that most of them are hunting with Podencos and only a small number of the Podencos are registered. The actual number of Podencos in this province will be above 60.000.
The total number of registered dogs in the Valencia region is 1.013.235 (2015). We have not been able to obtain the figures from the provinces of Valencia and Alicante, it is expected that at least 20.000 Podencos will be registered in each of these provinces. Furthermore, it is known from the Xarnego Valenciano (Podenco) to have around 54.000 dogs of this breed, the majority of which are in the Valencia region. The number of hunters in the region is about 50.000. Using a variety of data, we can conclude that there are at least 250.000 Podencos in the Valencia region.
Feria Castellon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2La4rumi-g
Aragón
In the three provinces of Aragón 190,026 dogs are registered. According to RIACA data, the following dogs are the most registered:
1. Cross Breeds 97.013
2. Yorkshire terrier 13,403
3. German Shepherd 10,906
4. Podenco Andaluz 8.245
5. Breton Espagnol 6.855
6. Podenco Ibicenco 5,766
7. Podenco 5.522
8. Maltese 5.172
9. Labrador 4.705
10. Brac 4.605
Source: click on weblink
That makes a total of at least 19.533 registered Podencos in the Aragon region, together more
That makes a total of at least 19.533 registered Podencos in the Aragon region, together more than any other registered dog breed and more than 10% of the total number of registered dogs. Here too, the actual number of Podencos is higher, probably above 60.000.
Other regions
Balearic Islands
The number of registered dogs has increased by 17% to 330.407 since 2014. 263.728 dogs are registered on Mallorca; Menorca, 24.601; Ibiza, 38.703; and Formentera, 3.375.
Mallorca has more than 20.000 hunters, Menorca around 2.000, Ibiza 2.500 and Formentera 300. The most popular hunting dog in the Balearic Islands is the Podenco Ibicenco.
Castilla-La Mancha
This region is often mentioned as the region where mostly the Galgo is used for hunting. However, the Podenco is also used in this region.
Soria: 30% of the abandoned dogs that the animal protection collects in Soria are hunting dogs. Between Soriadopoción and Redención, “there are more than 30 found in the mountains of the province after their owners decided that they were too old for the hunting sport. The majority, Podencos”.
Salamanca: Asociación Salmantina Protectora de Animales y Plantas (Aspap) doesn’t forget the role of the hunters. Over half of the animals they care for in their refuge are “Podenco crosses”.
Zamora: “The most drop-outs at this time are when the hunting season has ended, mostly Podencos and Pointers”.
http://www.elnortedecastilla.es/soria/ciento-perros-abandonados-20171102071702-nt.html
http://www.elnortedecastilla.es/salamanca/protectoras-exigen-controles-20170809103123-nt.html
Catalonia
In Catalonia more than 70% of the abandoned dogs in the shelters originates from hunters. Of this region is known that in the whole region, but mostly in the provinces Barcelona and Tarragona Podencos are used for hunting.
Murcia
In 2015 there were 130.000 dogs with a microchip registered in this region, only a small number because the College of Veterinarians estimate that at least 180.000 dogs aren’t registered. In Cartagena for example there are 27.000 animals registered in Siamu (the identification database of the region Murcia) while there are 8.300 registered in the census municipal.
In Murica there are around 18.000 hunting licenses issued, most hunters are using Podencos or Galgos.
Madrid
“Do you know the pace we experience of drop-outs in the middle of the campo or in dumpsters? Around 40 and 50% are hunting dogs, mainly Podencos”, said Matilde Cubillo, Presidenta de la Federación de Asociaciones Protectoras y de Defensa Animal de la Comunidad de Madrid.
The Justicia Animal Association has reported that in 2015 and till now in 2016, the associations who are committed to the protection of animals collected ‘a large number’ hunting dogs known as the Podenco in the region of Madrid.
These animals “used as tools, when they are no longer useful, injured, scared of gunshots, not fit’ they are abandoned at highways, in reserves or at the countryside. Many of them, “die alongside the road, get run over, get illnesses, starve or are euthanized in public shelters”.
The chairman of the Justicia Animal, Matilde Cubillo, says that 99% of these dogs don’t have a microchip, “so it’s practically impossible to trace the owner and the abandonment stays unpunished’.
“The shelters are crowded and saturated, there is no end to the Podencos entering in the most harsh circumstances. This is the result of lack of control over clandestine Rehalas in the region of Madrid.” ,says Cubillo. When the associations report these illegal Rehalas, everything is in order according to the intervening agents and technicians of the town hall. “We see chained dogs with little mobility, animals with their ears and tails cut off, with the floor covered in feces and urine, where they can’t relax and where females can’t bare their pups without veterinarian care.”
Already in 2009 it was known that Podencos and Podenco crosses, were the most neglected, abused and by far the most abandoned breed in Galicia.
https://ponteareasanimal.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/sos-podencos-los-transparentes/
http://www.farodevigo.es/comarcas/2013/07/24/perros-gatos-buscan-refugio/850263.html
La Rioja
The region La Rioja has approximately 332.000 residents, in 2016 around 11.000 hunting licenses were issued. Many of the hunters use Podencos. According to statistics by the government of La Rioja, there are annually over 3000 dogs abandoned. This means that there are 50 dogs per week being put to sleep. 80% originates from the countryside and are hunting dogs. About 70% of the total aren’t abandoned, but are voluntarily signed over by their owner to be killed. (‘free’, public money). These dogs are killed within 12 hours, the others within 9 to 15 days.
APARIOJA: The worst time for these shelters is the end of the different hunting seasons, the largest amount of dogs staying at the shelter are hunting dogs like Podencos…
http://applarioja.org/tematica/moda-o-etica
http://reporteroescolar.unir.net/2014/expansion/una-fundacion-luchadora/index.html
Other Northern Regions
Asturias, Basque Country, Cantabria and Navarre
In these northern regions traditionally other breeds are used in the hunt for small game, such as the Setter and Pointer, the Podenco is also used but to a lesser extent and sometimes complements the pack. When hunting big game, the Podenco is the core of the Rehala.
Rehala
Approximately 3.000 Rehalas are registered in Spain, which are used in the Monteria, the hunt for big game, such as red deer and wild boar. It is known that there are also many illegal Rehalas in Spain. A Rehala is composed of 20 to sometimes 80 dogs, the majority of which are Podencos Andaluz talla grande (the Podenco Campanero). The number of Podencos (and crosses) that are part of the Rehalas in Spain are at least 120.000. There are sometimes 40 Rehalas deployed during a Monteria. The Rehalas are located throughout Spain, with the largest concentration in Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha.
List Rehalas: http://javierferrero.es/_retiradas/voydemonteria/?page_id=74
Explanation Monteria: https://www.podencoworld.nl/nieuws/1158-monteria
Rehala transport with 60 dogs loose in the lorry.
Rehala transport
Galgos and Podencos
According to the la Federación Española de Galgos there are 200.000 Galgos with registered chip.
PACMA states that in Spain there are "190.000 Galgueros, with approximately 500.000 Galgos registered to hunt, especially in areas such as Andalusia, Extremadura and the two Castillas, and it is estimated that there are more than 900.000 Galgos in the hands of these hunters."
The investigation into the number and distribution of the Podencos in Spain has shown that in several regions the Podenco is number 1 as the most registered dog breed.
In only two of the seventeen autonomous regions, Andalusia and the Canary Islands, 400.000 Podencos have been registered. Also from publications on renowned Spanish hunting websites it appears that the most popular and used hunting dog is the Podenco. When looking at the four regions where according to Pacma, the Galgo mainly occurs, it appears that in Andalucia almost three times as many Podencos as Galgos are registered. In Extremadura, Castilla La Mancha and Castilla y Leon they also hunt with the Podenco, although in these regions more hunt with the Galgo than the Podenco, it does not outweigh the abundance of Podencos in the other regions. There are without doubt more Podencos than Galgos in Spain.
When people in Spain talk about maltreatment of hunting dogs, one thinks of the Galgo and also outside of Spain this breed is best known for the abuse they are exposed to and the cruel way their owners end their lives. One of the most cruel and well-known forms is hanging, but people in Spain,
outside the Animal Protection, don’t know that not only Galgos are hung, but also the Podencos are suffering the same fate.
Fortunately, Galgos are increasingly appreciated both in Spain and abroad. However, the Podenco is hardly visible as a pet in Spain, people do not see people walking in the streets with their Podenco, as is seen with the Galgo. Podencos are the eternal forgotten and suffer the same during their lives that is entirely all about hunting, and when they are no longer useful, their chained lives end in the same barbarous way. Many shelters do not pick up Podencos because they are not adopted anyway, there is no output. The shelters that do take them become overcrowded and can in time no longer accept Podencos. The shelters consider the Podenco as “the great forgotten”: No one notices them despite their great personalities and their remarkable character to live with a family, they undergo the same gruesomeness as ‘their cousins’ the Galgos, which not many people know. Men thinks it’s time for a national campagne to focus on the situation of the Podencos, to increase the awareness of the population, to prevent the abandonment of Podencos and to promote adoptions, given the high number of dogs of this breed that stay in shelters throughout Spain and wait for a well-deserved home.
Podenco land
Spanish shelters are flooded with Podencos, hundreds of calls for help throughout Spain for Podencos who are found in the most horrendous circumstances. It’s a rearguard fight against a superiority of hunters and a government that allows economic interests to prevail over animal welfare. Local authorities that have contracts for the management of the perreras with companies specialized in pest control, the cheapest possible solution for the stray problem, the waste of the Spanish society.
It is the daily reality for the Podencos in Spain, but in the twilight world of hunting everything has to stay hidden and everything is denied. In the meantime, tens of thousands of Podencos are sacrificed every year and receive virtually no attention. Does a Podenco life have no value?
Nobody knows exactly how many dogs and hunting dogs are in Spain because only a small part is registered and there is hardly any control. It is clear that in no region does the number of hunters correspond to the number of registered hunting dogs. All over Spain the Podenco is being used in hunting, and in addition a legion of Podenco crosses are used. The Podenco is the most popular and widely used hunting dog in Spain. Based on the numerous sources, the number of registered Podencos, and the high percentage of Podencos in the shelters in the different regions, it can be concluded that there are more Podencos in Spain than any other dog breed.
I estimate that at least 450.000 Podenqueros are active throughout Spain and at least 1.800.000 Podencos (and crosses) are in the hands of these hunters.
Spain is Podenco land, the downside of the coin is that this is accompanied by an incredible amount of animal suffering. The Podenco could be a national symbol of Spain, at this moment it is the national shame, with the flag soaked in Podenco blood. Although more Podencos have found their luck abroad, the shelters in Spain remain overcrowded with abandoned Podencos. How long will their sad fate remain invisible, how long will they be forgotten in their homeland?
Edwin Verhaegen
Founder and Treasurer of Podencoworld Foundation
Advocate of Podencos rights since 2005
Translation by: Nicole den Broeder
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