Just One More: Organization Application

Please complete the following form if you would like to be considered for a Just One More grant for your organization.

Just One More: GRIN's Mission of Hope and Solidarity

If you have been involved with the rescue and rehoming of Spanish hunting dogs, you know how agonizing it is to make decisions about which dogs get to come to the US. And how expensive it is to get them here. Not once have I been to Spain and not left with an aching pain in my heart because there were so many more who so badly needed and so richly deserved to come back with me. Just one more. Why can’t I bring just one more?

Galgo Rescue International Network is excited to announce a project for 2024 called “Just One More”. We are dreadfully aware of how expensive it has become to bring galgos and podencos to the United States. We are also acutely aware of how difficult fundraising has become. And of course, we are painfully aware of how difficult it is to decide which dogs can come to the US when you only have enough to fund the expenses for a certain number of dogs. Because of this, we are inviting all registered non-profit galgo and podenco rescue organizations based in the United States and Canada to apply to our “Just One More” Program, through which we will pay the expenses (see below for limits) of one “additional” galgo or podenco to join your rescue mission from Spain and return to the US.

Why is GRIN doing this?

1. We have been very fortunate in 2023 and want to facilitate the rescue of more Spanish hunting dogs, but we do not have the resources to handle all the incoming dogs through GRIN.

2. There are too many dogs needing rescue, too few opportunities for dogs to come to the US, and too little capital for most organizations to bring back “Just One More”.

3. We want to foster a sense of camaraderie amongst the rescue organizations in the US and Canada. We are all in this together.

What is “Just One More” offering to pay for?

GRIN will cover the following expenses for one dog (prices are in USD):

Airline kennel - up to $175

Shelter adoption fees - up to $325

Airfare for the dog - up to $400

Tractive GPS tracking device - up to $50 (including one month of coverage)

Safety harness - up to $45

Identification tag - up to $10

Tag collar, martingale, and two leashes - up to $45

Dog coat - up to $30

Additional medical costs - up to $150 (e.g. Seresto collars, leishmania vaccines, blood work, infectious disease testing)

What expenses WON’T GRIN cover?

Flight patron airfare

GPS tracking subscription costs beyond the first month

Customs broker fees

What does GRIN expect from the organization?

Receipts for the items we are paying for

Permission to post on social media (Announcement of recipient and dog; Updates on transport; Updates after arrival)

Permission to use photos of the dog, along with a “bio” about the organization, provided by the organization, in printed or electronic media

What are the requirements?

1. The organization must be a registered 501(c)(3) charity organization (or Canadian equivalent)

2. The rescue mission/transport must already be planned before applying for the program

3. The dog must be an “add on” to an existing trip, not a “solo” rescue mission

4. The dog must be a galgo or podenco - but you are free to select the dog that moves your heart, we will set no requirements for age, length at shelter, temperament, etc.

5. An application must be completed, and the expectations listed above agreed to

6. Dogs traveling under the “Just One More” program MUST be outfitted with a GPS tracker, a dog tag, a safety harness, a martingale, a tag collar, and two leashes

In order to try to provide an opportunity for everyone to benefit, we will limit “Just One More” dogs to two per organization per calendar year, and only one per rescue transport. All terms are subject to change. It is wholly within GRIN’s discretion to accept or decline a group’s application.

GRIN’s Fall 2023 Mission to Scooby

On October 15, GRIN embarked on a journey to help the hunting dogs of Spain. Specifically, the dogs of Scooby Protectora de Animales in Medina del Campo, Spain. It was a mission bigger than anything we’d ever done before, involving three countries, three organizations, and 12 volunteers. GRIN sent a total of 12 people, four from Canada, eight from the US, to Scooby in teams over a three week period. Two of our volunteers stayed for the entire mission. Most of the volunteers were there for seven to 10 days. The volunteers, people from all walks of life (construction, veterinary, animal care, retired, office personnel, videographer, etc.) came together at Scooby to repair and rebuild facilities ailing from the effects of time and the passage of thousands of paws through its gates. 

Our team stayed in two rented apartments in Medina during their time at Scooby. Together they learned from the volunteers experienced in construction how to put down concrete, powerwash kennel walls, install tile, weld, paint concrete, install doors, and so much more. They worked primarily in the quarantine area of the shelter and repaired, painted, improved, and refurbished the majority of the paddocks. GRIN purchased several tools for use while there, and left them for future use. They included a welder, grinders and accessories, a skill saw, a power washer, three hot water heaters, workspace lighting, and a heavy-duty door for the tool shed. We also funded and installed a Starlink high-speed internet unit for the office.

We’d love to say that they faced no adversity, but the mission was interrupted by a few mishaps and conditions. The biggest one: RAIN. Torrential rain. Not a sprinkle here and there, these were rain storms with winds that could blow you over. You can do some things working outside in the rain, like power washing walls, but painting, concrete work, etc. is not an option. Ironically, it had not rained in quite some time in this region of Spain, but it rained on and off the entire three weeks. Also along the lines of challenges to deal with, one of our team members suffered severe food poisoning after eating a sandwich at the Chicago airport on their way to Spain. If you grew up/lived through the ‘80s, you might recall the barf-o-rama scene from the movie “Stand By Me”. It was reenacted by our team member in the boarding area of the airport. We are surprised, with all the apocalypse/zombie movies starting with someone getting ill on an international flight, that anyone was willing to board the flight after witnessing the event. Another team member faced severe adversity on her way home when the plane she was boarding told her that the two dogs she was taking back could not fly because the hold could not be temperature regulated. Several days later, and after an unwanted visit to Portugal, our volunteer and two galgos made their way to British Columbia. 

Eleven dogs made their way to North America at the end of the mission - nine galgos, one podenco mix, and a little terrier/bulldog mix. Two of the galgos, Lizzy (FKA Lagartija) and Dacota, went to Canada. Dacota was adopted immediately, Lizzy remains in foster care with Extraordinary Galgos and Podencos. Seven galgos and the two mixed breed dogs went to the US. Upon arrival in Chicago, Baltasar was picked up by his new mom (one of our first wave volunteers) and driven to his new home in Maryland. The remaining eight dogs were driven in caravan style from Chicago to Denver. Unfortunately, the van containing all the dogs hit a deer in Iowa. Thanks to the sharp driving skills of the mission’s foreman, the accident was minor with only a side mirror damaged. We don’t know about the deer, unfortunately. Upon arriving in Denver, Leia (FKA Gloria), Freyja (FKA Bruja), Portia (FKA Karina), Isabelle (FKA Gioia), and Melchor were adopted and went to their forever homes. Arturo (FKA Turbo), who was supposed to go to Canada to EGP from the beginning but was too big per the airline’s rules, went into foster care for a month in Denver. He finally made his way to Victoria, BC Canada, via Seattle, a week ago. Amigo the podenco mix, and Calixto the terrier/bulldog mix are currently being fostered in Colorado and will soon be available for adoption.

Our volunteers were all amazing, with each bringing different skills and tremendous enthusiasm to the table. We can’t say thank you enough to: Stacie Shaw, Lonnette Graham, Bernadette Boe, Dave Rempel, Anna Szeitz, Michele Wright, Matt Bula, Kimberly Logan Waggoner, Brian Lynn, Kristen Metzger,  Abby Hull, and our foreman, Steve Hull. A special thank you is owed to Robyn Silo and Anne Hoekema of Extraordinary Galgos and Podencos for their help coordinating the passage of three galgos to Canada.

Scooby is a magical place. We have been working with Scooby since 2005. The majority of the nearly 100 dogs GRIN has rescued have come from there. For some of us, it is home - at least in our hearts. The shelter has been operating for more than 25 years, and just as with any facility, time has taken a toll on the structures there. Shortly after our final group left Scooby along with Nieves Perez (the heartbeat of Scooby), we learned that the roof of the infirmary had collapsed due to the torrential rains. We need to continue our mission to help Scooby, and any donation you can make to help them function would be deeply appreciated. Please visit www.galgorescue.

GRIN's Summer 2023 Trip to Scooby

Thirteen years ago, I left Scooby after a week of working in their veterinary clinic, fully expecting to return in six months. Life always seems to have other plans for us, though, so my return to Scooby last month was belated, to say the least. Despite the delay, I felt like I had returned home.

There is a certain magic that is required to provide sanctuary to hundreds of unwanted souls. Day after day, month after month, year after year. There are thousands of players in this magic show - everyone who has adopted a Scooby animal, everyone who has donated funds or supplies, everyone who has volunteered their time - either at the shelter or virtually. It’s a miracle, really. Even more so when you consider the satellite shelters in Zamora, Palencia, and Valladolid. And the public service work, providing shelter to stray animals from all over the region.

To watch the staff at Scooby work is an honor. Not only do they manage the day-to-day needs of the animals and the facility, they plan transports, they deal with legal matters, they work with the on-site and off-site veterinarians. They juggle, seemingly, a thousand tasks seven days a week.

The animals are in excellent condition. Well fed, well socialized (more of them then not, though there are shy/cautious souls who are still learning to trust). In each paddock I found dogs that are So. Ready. For a family. Mostly galgos, but other dogs - mastins, podencos, mixes, shepherds, you name it. They care for dogs, cats, farm animals - souls of every kind.

This miracle that is Scooby needs your help. They need tick preventative collars - it’s a particularly horrible year. They need new water buckets. They need supplies for their clinic. There is an ongoing need for food, cleaning supplies, items that wear out (like hoses).

This fall, GRIN will send a team back to Scooby - this time with the plan to help rebuild and rejuvenate the facilities. Over twenty-plus years, tens-of-thousands of paws have made their way through the grounds of Scooby. Our team wants to help prepare Scooby for the paws yet to come, and those that call Scooby home. 

Please consider making a donation to GRIN or Scooby via Zelle or PayPal to galgorescue@yahoo.com. If you want your donation to be given to Scooby as funds, please indicate “Scooby funds” when you make your donation.

Thank you,
Abby Christman Hull
Galgo Rescue International Network

How Do We Choose?

Three hundred and fifty pairs of pleading eyes at Scooby Medina… so how did we choose which lucky hounds would be coming to the USA in early November?

Some have been at Scooby longer than others. Some due to the perception that a large dog needs a large home and large yard (however, we know that sighthounds are fine in smaller homes and have an uncanny knack of curling into little balls). Then there’s the Black Dog Syndrome; potential adopters tend to overlook black dogs for reasons that confound us.

All of the dogs reserved by GRIN have backstories and deserve better. There’s Karina, who was starved and neglected by her former owner. One choice was pure kismet: adorable, pleading, older galga, Gloria, peeped behind Karina in a photo and caught the eye and heart of a family.

All the dogs were selected for their potential to transition into a home and play nicely with others. So saying, we wish we could have reserved all of Scooby’s dogs for a home in the States.

If you’re interested in adopting galgo, please fill out an adoption application and email it to our adoption coordinator at wally@galgorescue.com.

Did You See What We Did?

We have new logos! It’s been a dozen years, but we have exciting new art to flash around!

And get excited… logo merchandise to help the dogs might be just around the corner! Tell us in a comment what you would buy to support GRIN and the galgos!

What to Expect… When You’re Expecting a Galgo

Many galgo-curious and galgo adopters are familiar with their cousin, the racing greyhound. Although both are greyhounds (galgo is Spanish for greyhound), the Spanish one is actually a different and ancient breed. To complicate matters, the galgo espanol is sometimes intentionally crossed with the racing greyhound to incorporate speed.

The galgo and racing greyhound are different…yet similar. The former is smaller, the male about the size of an average female grey. The galgo is not as muscled as the racers and doesn’t boast those buns of steel as they have been bred for stamina over speed. The eyes are soulful, the noses often “Roman” and they have a hard coat, unlike the greyhound’s velvety coat, and can even be wirehaired, with beards and eyebrows! Bone cancer is an extreme rarity in the galgo breed.

Used and abused for hunting hares competitively in the countryside, they are raised in large numbers. Their world might be a shed in which they are chained or even a pit in the ground covered with wood planks. When their “usefulness” ends in February, the official end of the hunting season in Spain, they are abandoned or killed except for a couple kept for breeding. Numbers are elusive but it has been estimated that 30,000 to 100,000+ are discarded each year by the galgueros. Hunting dogs in Spain are not protected by law like other dogs.

The galgos are typically raised in large groups, often huddling together for warmth. This pragmatic “togetherness” means that galgos generally don’t have space guarding issues and are happy to curl up with others. These sighthounds are super agile and with their endurance and athleticism make fine hiking companions. But no hikes in the rain please – they generally hate getting wet! They are intelligent, trainable and quick studies, especially when treats are involved. Expect your galgo to make her-/himself cozy on the couch. There are differing opinions on crating galgos, some folks for and some strongly against. If the galgo is house safe and other-pet safe when you’re not home, there’s no need to crate.

Galgos can leap fences in a single bound so we recommend a six foot wood privacy fence and when they first arrive and have not yet bonded to you, it’s wise to attach a long lead to the harness…just to make sure. A tracker on the collar is recommended. Galgos, at least in the beginning, should be walked on a three-point harness that prevents escape and keep a good hold on that leash. No underage dog walkers, please!

Galgos generally have a robust prey drive but some live happily with cats. However, as with ex-racers, a cat zooming in the yard can trigger that prey drive even if the galgo sleeps curled next to his cat buddy indoors.

Galgos haven’t lived in a home and we can assume some have been mistreated, neglected and under-socialized. Since these dogs have always lived with others and are new to home life, they do best with another dog or two in the household. Allow your newly arrived galgo to have a safe place from which to observe their new world and decompress. Don’t worry about walkies on Day 1…or even Day 10. Take it slow and be patient. Living in our world is like landing on another planet to them. With time, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without a galgo (or two or more).

NOTE: these are generalities and within each breed is a spectrum of individual personalities. GRIN is happy to help with questions, concerns and adjustments to home life.

Written by Judy Greenfield.

Galgos Available for Adoption!

This fall, GRIN is making the trip to Scooby, a galgo rescue in Spain. We’ll be bringing back a group of lucky galgos to start their new lives! We adopt within a 6-8 hour driving radius of Wellington, CO. If you’re interested in adopting, read on to find your new companion.

Dacota

Who knew a ray of sunshine could come in black and white. Dakota is a young female galga who arrived at Scooby in a terrible state of neglect. Despite her past, she is full of joy and a delight to be around. Please contact GRIN if you are interested in adopting her when she arrives in CO in November.

Calixto

Calixto is 100% joy, love, and sweetness. While those are not recognized dog breeds, surely they are the important parts of his makeup.

I’m not really sure what this little dude is. There appear to be some bulldoggy genes there. No galgo or podenco (though his tail is curly!). He’s a little thing and just as sweet as pie. Please help GRIN and Scooby find his forever, and open up a spot for another galgo at the shelter!

If you are interested in adopting Calixto when he arrive in Colorado in November, please contact GRIN.

Amigo

Amigo is a 4-year-old galgo/possibly border collie mix, who has been at Scooby for quite a while. While not a pure galgo, finding a home for him will free up a space to bring in another galgo! He is sweet, cheerful, gets along well with other dogs, and is active. Are you the loving home he is longing for?

Please contact GRIN if you are interested in adopting him when he arrives in November.

Baltasar

Baltasar is a young male galgo who arrived at Scooby in March 2023. He is calm and sweet and gets along well with other dogs. Contact GRIN for information if you would like to apply to adopt him when he arrives in November.

If you’re interested in adopting, please fill out this adoption application and email it to our adoption coordinator at wally@galgorescue.com.

Dia del Galgo 2022: The Galgos Still Need Our Help!

The end of another hunting season has arrived and our rescue friends in Spain are working as hard as ever to provide safe harbor for the countless number of galgos, podencos, and other hunting dogs who will be discarded. Galgo Rescue International Network is working to gather supplies (medical supplies, medications, coats, collars, dog supplies, etc.) for the shelters in Spain. These supplies will be taken to several shelters this fall when one of our American rescue friends, Daphne Legacy Tour [see images below], sends a group of volunteers to Spain to deliver supplies, provide volunteer labor, and return with lucky galgos headed for their forever homes in the US. We are also collecting donations for the following:

• Baggage expenses for the supplies taken to the shelters by DLT

• Travel expenses for the DLT volunteers

• Medication to treat Leishmania suffered by galgos adopted in the US by DLT adopters

• Spanish shelters (you may designate which shelter you wish to donate to)

• The GRIN general fund for grants to shelters

To donate supplies, please email abby@galgorescue.org to obtain the ship-to address.

To make a monetary gift, please use one of the donation buttons on our homepage. Please designate how you would like your money dispersed on the electronic donation or check, or email abby@galgorescue.org to inform GRIN of your request.

Thank you for your continued support of GRIN and the hunting dogs of Spain.