Podenco Post

Bev Farmer of Podenco Friends has done a tremendous amount to raise the profile of Podencos - not quite so 'Invisible' as they were 12-15 years ago when I first started to foster some back in 2007. Here Bev shares the story of how she and her late partner Warren became involved with these wonderful hounds.

'Angela .. the first senior podenco we rescued back in 2013.

I collected Angela from the perrera, she was 12 years old and surrendered by her owner. When I reached to pick her up I prepared myself for the weight of an adult dog. I took in a sharp breath as it was like picking up a puppy, she was so thin. She had a lot of health issues, a huge hernia her ear was a mess and her kidneys were failing.

El Refugio de Brown in Badajoz, Extramadura - desperately needing help - donations, fosters, adoptions

From Lidia Martinez in Badajoz, Extramadura, a terrible place for hinting dogs.

'I introduce myself I am Lidia Martinez and I am a teamer and collaborator of El Refugio de Brown in Zafra Badajoz, her situation is very hard, there are only two people managing more than 100 animals, at a cost monthly of € 2,000 or more in veterinary and residency expenses, already they do not have their own premises, as the city council evicted them from its facilities and also many animals from the kennels from Extremadura and Andalucia.

Please we ask you to value the possibility of being part of these groups since all help is fundamental and donations are desperately needed.

I leave you the link to their website so you can know them a little more and the links of their two groups.

www.elrefugiodebrown.org

https://www.teaming.net/elrefugiodebrown

https://www.teaming.net/rescatadosdelaperrera

Paul O'Grady - a sad loss to the UK animal world

Paul O'Grady died peacefully on 29th March 2023. He was a wonderful ambassador for Battersea Cats & Dogs Home, finding forever homes for many of the shelter's residents through his TV Programme 'For The Love of Dogs'. RIP lovely man, you will be sorely missed by so many.

Protectora de Animales in Arume - helping hounds in Galicia

It's not often I find stories about podencos or galgos in Galicia in northern Spain but I've just come across this small protectora of 2 ladies who work with the local animal kennels to try and home the poor lost souls who end up behind bars. Please read their story here.

'Behind Arume we are two women who have been rescuing animals for many years. Looking the other way doesn't suit us, and little by little we became entangled in this wonderful, but also hard, adventure that is to dedicate your life to animals.

We carry out our work in O Carballiño, helping to find families for the animals that arrive at the kennel, to prevent their stay in it from being extended. We are volunteers, that is to say, we are not labor related to the kennel, but we work with the officials who manage it to prioritize the most urgent cases (puppies, grandparents...) and expedite their departure, without forgetting all the others: young people and adults who many times they become invisible, and we try to make them visible through our social networks to find them a home as soon as possible.'

Shortly there will follow the story of Truan, a podenco they have been trying to home for a year.

Akira Animal Sanctuary - lovely podencos needing forever homes

Akira Animal Sanctuary

have these stunning podencos who have been waiting for months for forever homes. They really would make wonderful companions. Have you room in your home and heart for one? Contact Hayley at Akira if so. Fingers crossed!

Charlie

Cam

Merlin

Iris

Vince

The Story of Galgo's Rescue Almeria

In 2015 Sandy and John Cortebeeck sold up in Belgium and moved to Almeria to open a kennels. As with all good intentions, for dog lovers in Spain, the mass abandonment of galgos and podencos takes over everyone's life. Thank goodness there are people willing to give up almost everything to help these amazing dogs, treated like rubbish by the sub-human Spanish galgueros.

Click on this weblink to read the full story.

Galgo Podenco Platform - what they do

Many years ago the Dutch Galgo Lobby worked to publicise the plight of the galgos and podencos in Spain. The Galgo Podenco Platform is now doing the same. Here's an extract from their website.

'Galgo Podenco Platform

The galgolobby is a developed lobby in Europe, where these dogs are much exploited for their specific characteristics as sight hounds, including their speed and hunting abilities. Galgos are traditionally used for hare coursing on the countryside and sometimes on enclosed tracks.

A very important development is that the galgo-lobby also represents the podenco: The Great Forgotten. Podencos are mostly used and abused in the Rehalas and Monterias: the driven hunt. The number of podencos greatly exceeds the number of galgos in Spain. These dogs live mostly hidden in dark and filthy barns on one meter chains.'

You can read more about their work on this link.

The Senior Sighthound Sanctuary US - helping older podencos to a new life

Regular readers will know that 5 months ago my OH and I adopted 2 podencos from Spain, both 8 years old, one of which is blind.
This is an association in the US working to help these older podencos to forever homes and the good life they deserve.

The Senior Sighthound Sanctuary provides a safe haven for senior & special needs sighthounds, either at the sanctuary or through a network of forever foster and adoptive families. We also provide education on the special needs of senior sighthounds. The Sanctuary was formed out of a true love and passion for senior sighthounds. These amazing & endearing dogs take a huge piece of our heart & we would move heaven & earth for them. It's not easy work to take in a senior hound but the love far outweighs any sadness when they pass, for their time with us is far more important than ours is with them.

The founder writes.

'Recently eight senior podenco girls were pulled from a shelter in Spain, all over the age of 8. It was discovered, once they were out of the shelter, that two of them are pregnant. All of these girls have led hard lives at the hands of hunters, usually being bred over & over again with no vet care whatsoever. These dogs have been reserved for the Sanctuary & I've made the commitment to bring them here to the US to be adopted out, where they can forget the miserable lives they previously led.

From Spain to Wales - 2 happy podencos

Dave Owen lives in Wales, UK, and has 2 adopted podencos. He's busy writing a story featuring a podenco but, in the meantime, he has sent us this story of his podencos and how he came to adopt them.

'Not long got back from walking the dogs on the beach, Maude loves to chase her ball and when it’s warm enough she enjoys swimming.

Edith on the other hand isn’t keen on water but does have a tentative paddle with Spook her westie friend. We have only recently considered it safe enough for her to be let off her lead because she doesn’t have a focus like Maude and is more interested in the massive rabbit population located in the sand dunes but she’s not allowed in them because of the adders. She does chase the rabbits in the garden but they have escape routes which are always kept open.

Giving rescue dogs a chance

Not about podencos or Spanish hounds but I thought you might be interested to read this story of a young woman in Romania (where we know the dogs also suffer horrendous cruelty) and her work saving the street dogs.