At the heart of a truly successful charity organization are its volunteers. G.R.I.N. welcomes the help of those passionate about animal welfare in general and the Spanish galgo specifically. We are working very hard to help these animals, but we need your help! Perhaps one of the most important tasks is our letter writing campaign - a task that anyone with a computer and printer can help with! In order to truly bring change to the situation in Spain, the root of the problem must change and this will only be accomplished through education and awareness.
Below is a sample letter, both in English and Spanish, that can be used as-is or you may make changes as you see fit. Please take the time to print, sign, and mail or email it to the following list of Spanish officials. Every voice is important, and if enough of us make a plea perhaps we will be able to influence legislation.
Sample Letter (English)
Dear _________________,
I am writing to ask you to address the terrible plight of the galgo in Spain. As you are probably aware, countless numbers of galgos are abandoned and killed in Spain. The Internet has made the galgos' situation known worldwide. Photographs and descriptions of their neglect, mutilation and destruction through hanging, being thrown down wells, shooting and other forms of torture are now accessible to millions of people. This type of barbarism does not fit the image of a Western European country that is a member of the European Union.
I understand that galgos are protected under Article 337 of the Penal Code. This federal law overrules any regional/autonomous laws. There are penalties for disposing of unwanted dogs in this manner which can lead to imprisonment. Law enforcers must respond to incidents of animal cruelty, investigate them thoroughly and the perpetrators must be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The European Union must intervene if Spain fails to meet even minimum standards of animal welfare.
- A law is in place mandating that all hunting dogs be microchipped so that their owners can be tracked and held responsible for them. This law must be enforced.
- Hunting with greyhounds should be banned in Spain, as it is in the rest of the European Union.
- The overbreeding of galgos needs to be addressed, with licensing and fees for litters. At present, they are bred in great numbers and discarded - or worse - when no longer deemed useful.
- More humane shelters need to be constructed and funded to aid these dogs - not perreras where they are exterminated by the thousands.
- An educational campaign in Spain needs to be launched so that people are aware that galgos are sentient beings, need protection from harm and make great pets.
Thank you for your time. Please inform me of any plans to raise the standard of animal protection in Spain. In turn, I would be happy to mail Internet stories, magazine articles and television spots that appear in America featuring the sad story of the galgo in Spain.
Respectfully,
Your Name
Sample Letter (Spanish)
Estimado_____________,
Me dirijo a usted para llamar la atenci�n de las condiciones dif�ciles y terribles de los galgos en Espa�a. Como me imagino que usted ya sabe, son innumerables los galgos que se abandonan y se matan en Espa�a. Por medio del internet la situaci�n de los galgos se conoce en el mundo entero. Fotos y descripciones de abandonos, mutilaciones, ahorcamientos, tirados a pozos, matarlos a disparos y por otras formas de tortura ya son accesibles a millones de personas. Estos tipos de actos b�rbaros no responden a la imagen de un pa's de Europa occidental que es miembro de la Uni�n Europea.
Entiendo que los galgos son protegidos por el Art�culo 337 del C�digo Penal. Esta ley nacional predomina sobre cualquier ley regional/auton�mica. Existen penalizaciones de encarcelamiento por deshacerse de esta manera a los perros no deseados. Los agentes de la autoridad deben responder a los casos de crueldad a los animales, investigarlos totalmente y penalizar al infractor hasta la pena m�xima que marque la ley. La Uni�n Europea debe intervenir si Espa�a no cumple ni con los m�nimos criterios del bienestar de los animales.
- Hace falta llevar a cabo una ley que obligue a la identificaci�n mediante microchip en todos los perros de caza para que los due�os sean localizables y que tengan la responsabilidad de ellos.
- Cazar con galgos debe ser prohibido en Espa�a, como es el caso en el resto de la Uni�n Europea.
- Habr� que abordar el problema de la crianza intensiva de los galgos, debiendo tener todos los galgos pasaportes (cartillas veterinarias), y pagar un impuesto por cada camada. Actualmente, se cr�an numerosas cantidades y se desechan abandon�ndolos, ahorc�ndolos, quem�ndolos, etc. cuando dejan de servir para la caza.
- Es m's, se debe construir y financiar refugios protectoras para ayudar a estos perros � no perreras donde se exterminan miles y miles de ellos.
- Se necesita lanzar campa�as educativas en Espa�a para que la gente sea consciente que los galgos son seres sensibles, que les hace falta una protecci�n para estar a salvo y que son maravillosas mascotas.
Le agradezco el tiempo que me ha dado. Le pido el favor que me informe de cualquier plan para elevar el nivel de protecci�n de animales en Espa�a. A cambio, yo con much'simo gusto, le enviar� todos los reportajes de Internet, art�culos de revistas y anuncios de televisi�n que aparezcan en los Estados Unidos de las tristes historias de los galgos en Espa�a.
Respetuosamente,
Your Name