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MORE SWEET PICTURES OF BABY MINA SENT TO US BY SILVIA OF GALGO CONNECTION SPAIN SHE IS NOW AT CLINICA VETERINARIA BLASCO IBANEZ IN VALENCIA. MINA WILL HAVE SURGERY TOMORROW ON BOTH LEGS. BOTH HAVE TORN TENDONS AND LIGAMENTS AND NEED IMMEDIATE REPAIR. SHE WILL HAVE THE CARE SHE NEEDS THANKS TO OUR GRIN SUPPORTERS! WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON HER PROGRESS. WE WISH BABY MINA A QUICK RECOVERY! WE ARE WITH YOU!
THANK YOU FOR SAVING US!!
A big thank you goes out to all the people involved in helping Galgos en Familia in Malaga, to rescue two black beauties from death at the local pound in Malaga. The girls are named Amor and Chloe and both girls were released into the association's care and both have had the luck of finding foster homes waiting for them in Madrid and Barcelona, one through SOS Galgos Thank you to Teresa Smith in the U.S. and the people of Southwest Animal Protection in the UK aka SWAP Team UK who engaged in urgent emails to help these two girls. Also thank you to our GRIN supporters for also heeding the call!! Without your help the outcome would have been without words..
Donations through G.R.I.N. will continue to help this association. Just go to our Pay Pal Donate Button on our home page. Thank You!
WE ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THROUGH GALGO CONNECTION SPAIN, CHANCE, AFTER MONTHS OF RECOUPERATION, FOUND HIS PARADISE IN EUROPE. WE THANK EVERYONE INVOLVED IN HIS RESCUE, CARE, REHABILITATION AND TO HIS NEW ADOPTERS FOR GIVING THIS DESERVING BOY HIS "CHANCE " AND HIS FOREVER HOME!
A SPECIAL STORY SENT TO US BY CHAR DEL RIO OF 112 CARLOTAS GALGOS
Introducing Greta! It's taken me time to write about Greta, its common when we receieve a galgo to write about them, but Greta .. Greta while all galgos have a story Greta drew me in and needed to be understood before I could write anything about her. It's a fact that in truth we will never know what became of Greta and her past, only an assesment on what we see can be made. She cannot talk, she cannot tell us.. but pain she has felt and that she can show us. Galgos del Sol received Greta, and 112 Carlota galgos was to receive Grace, a galgo rescued in Murcia. However, seeing that Grace was a balanced galga she suited the care which galgos del sol can offer her, Greta - frozan literally needed a different care. So between us we thought it best to make a change and see how we individually can help Greta. It's been a week, and she draws you in. If you saw her you would instantly be attracted to her, her nose is as long and thin as anything Ive seen, her lower jaw slightly cut below the top one, and thin. A typical way in which an abandoned galgo is found. She is by far going to be an amazing galga. Ive told her to hold on, cos one day soon she will shine. Her eyes sad, sadder than sad, ashamed of herself and all she has existed. For being a galga in Spain, its trash sheer trash. Here in the photo you see Dioni collecting Greta in arms for this was her way of getting from one place to another, being carried for her legs, they just wouldnt work. Her fear just made her freeze and the possibility of more pain for Greta was too much to bare.
You want to draw close to her, you want to hold her and embrace her and tell her its all o now, but she cant believe you, she doesnt know how. It's common to see a galgo "blocked" in fear, holding off wee-ing for what will come of them if they do such a simple natural act.. but Greta, she has withdrawal on her from the world, and rawness of her past scars her eyes. Too much at just 18 months of age. A beauty of a galga, but robbed of that treasure. For the simple reason of her jusrt needing to find herself, its of no effect to her to be cuddled right now.. routine and seeing the group got for their walks can fdo more for her than hugs to a ridgid body. To a body shell of a galga who once was. Over the week she has been quietly left, allowed to "just be" - she showed absolutely no interest in walking, and hid in the corner as if not there. Every now and then Henrietta and the other galgos would come close, put their nose to her as if to say, "Its ok here, you've made it" Then they would walk away and leave her. Her food although put there, she wouldnt eat, the others who know their routine would walk over to it, but its as if between them her pain showed and not one of the other dogs went to eat her plate. She has an innate feeling about her. Iv'e watched Greta carefully and she has had several days of watching the other galgos go out for their walks, the routine can offer far more to her than anything else at this time. During the course of the week, when she cowered down in the corner we would gently pick her up and place her on a bed.. "This is your bed Greta" not a cold floor. Again and again this process would take place. Towards the end of the week, I felt a nose, to find Greta there. She had managed to move and that was something. Lisa has fallen for her head over heels, ya sometimes theres that special "pull" and we cant help it. 2 days ago I made the decision it was time.. it was time Greta faced the outside world. Its hard to see them so ashamed, but putting on a lead has meant hell on earth for Greta. it has meant punishment and pain. This is clear! She would freeze and pull back with all her strength, but sometimes I feel they cannot live in their fear and at the right timing they have to come out of it. Otherwise we cant help them. So the lead goes on, the pack get ready, their daily routine of walking out and gettig ready at the door. With all on the go forward, Greta pulls back, she just cant do it, she just cant. For Greta what would it mean exactly? Where are they all going with leads on... So I had to pull her, she had to walk. At times again Id see Henrietta go back and touch her nose, as if to say "Greta our walks are fun, its ok" We would go step by step. Wait, she needs to catch her breath since her fear makes her lose it but we have to carry on. Now at the end of the week or just over a week, shes been seen with the others having a little jump onto her bed,.. eating her food in her bowl. And while she struggles with the concept of a walk, she doesnt run to the corner and pretend not to be there. It will take time for Greta to become normalised but she will get there and the promise I made to her to shine will transpire. She will not only be a galga who is stunning, but maybe one day, she will touch the nose of another in hope for them. Im no expert, and Im no psychic, but the reactions Ive seen from Greta towards the lead and sheer fear.. makes me wonder how can a dog come to this. Being belted so many times by a lead, its possible but my thoughts sway to her actually being "dragged by her lead" by her neck.. perhaps trained on a motorbike, somehow to this effect she has been dragged. She has been forced beyond her will to do something which has inflicted pain and shame on her, and now its our job to show her a new life, a new way and that never ever again will a lead hurt her. ive seen some small tiny steps already with her and long to send you photos of a stunning galga who has overcome her previous life and jumps up at the lead for it means her walking time is due. For the hunter, who thinks these animals are no more than tools, no more than trash may your commupance be strong, may you meet your equal, may you learn a better way and if God cannot help you, may you rot in hell! Sr.Galguero, you have blood on your hands. Hang in there Greta, both you and Grace are free and will know a new life which offers hope and love. For sure, we will keep you informed of her progress. If you would like to help with Gretas care and food allowance we would be extremely greatful. She is already tested sterilised and vaccinated. Its residency time and food expences which we need help with. " We are all routing for you Greta, because we believe in you!"
Charlotte & Ambo Ambasadog! http://112carlotagalgos.blogspot.com
WOULD YOU HELP BABY MINA BY VIRTUALLY ADOPTING HER?
This is Baby Mina who was abandoned in Sevilla and left to endure by herself! Her back leg is totally injured and her suffering is hard to imagine at such a young age. Again, our friend Silvia of Galgo Connection Spain could not turn away, and has offered to bring her to Valencia to Dr. Cesar to see if the leg can be saved but it does not look good for her. She deserves a chance and a new start. If you would like to help her on her way to a decent life, you may like to Virtually Adopt Baby Mina. We will keep you updated on her progress and you will be able to follow her journey and we can send you pictures of this sweet little galga. Donations through G.R.I.N. will go directly to Galgo Connection Spain for Mina. Just send us an email and let us know who you are and that you want to help her. Thank you for your support. Mina thanks you!
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THANK YOU, SUPPORTERS! BECAUSE OF YOU WE COULD PROVIDE OUR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND FOR LAILA!
Laila sat in the kill station hopeless and all alone until Silvia Bordetas Gil of Galgo Connection Spain saw her and knew she could not turn away. Laila, a senior Podenca with a huge hernia hanging off her belly, alone, abandoned and sad waiting for help, waiting and waiting, until she was rescued!
GRIN heard about her dilemma and her need and has provided our Emergency Assistance Fund for her emergency surgery and spay. We know she now has hope and that in a short time Laila will be well and in time she will find a loving home. She is now eating well, and wagging her tail! If you have a heart for seniors this is one for you!
Thank you GRIN supporters, your generous donations have helped this sweet Podenca have a decent life and a happy future.
UPDATE: Julia now known as Abby has been adopted...
Abby is living happily in Colorado with her new family and greyhound pack. She has adjusted beautifully and loves her new life of being spoiled by devoted mom and dad!
Julia will steal your heart. A sweet galga from Scooby Medina of 5 years of age. She has a very mellow personality and gets along very well with other dogs. She is very sweet and adjusts quickly to new circumstances. She is loving life in the states with her foster family and is looking for her forever home to complete her dream.
Are you the one she is looking for?
Please email Telma Shaw at: odiesden @ cox.net for more information about Julia.
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UPDATE: This little galga has made her home in British Columbia after a long adventure from Spain. She is doing great in her new home. Loves her walks and especially the beach, chasing birds. She has found a loving home and great life in Canada! Kala is also a calendar girl as she made it in the 2009 Chinook Winds Greyhound Rescue Calendar!
Enjoy your life Kala.
Kala is a beautiful 2 year old galga who just came from Scooby Medina Shelter in pain this week and is ready for her forever home. She has been fostered with reyhounds and does great with them. She is very sweet and affectionate and wags her ail when you talk to her. Kala is high prey so no kitties for her to live with. She has discovered the comforts of home and is ready for a soft bed to call her own.
Would you like to help Kala find the happiness she so deserves? She has come this far and is just waiting for that very special family.
Email Telma Shaw at: odiesden @ cox.net for more information on Kala.
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GRIN�S October 2008 trip to Spain served two purposes. Our volunteers delivered much needed supplies to seven shelters: Arca Sevilla, San Anton, Recal Extremadura, Paws y Patas, Sofia El Refugio Escuela, Pro Galgo and Scooby Medina. They also took on the monumental task of returning to America with 7 lucky dogs bound for their forever homes!
The trip was made possible by two wonderful volunteers from Ohio, Debbie Grega and Chris Mosey. Both ladies, first timers to Spain, took on a huge task, hauling over 200 lbs of supplies to Spain and then working tirelessly at Scooby Medina for a week, and finally, returning with 7 dogs. If you have not experienced a trip like this one, we can say that it is truly life changing for all involved. Those most affected by the life changing aspect of this last trip were of course, our Magnificent 7 who came together for a trip of a lifetime, a trip that would change their lives forever. Here are their stories.
Torrente: A mild mannered beautiful Podenco from Northern Spain. Released by a hunter to Cristina Pascual of Amigos de Milord in Palencia Spain, Torrente had a tough beginning. He lived his life locked in a patio with a dozen other galgos and podencos at the mercy of the human who would come only every two weeks to feed the �tools of the trade�. This was Torrente's life, to hunt and to suffer. In the winter many of his pack died of hypothermia in the bitter cold with no protection on that patio. He had survived and was tossed away like trash as he was not a �good hunter� anymore. We are so thankful to Cristina for rescuing him. When he came to our attention, his sweet demeanor was his calling card and it was not long before the perfect family came forward and asked for him and we began preparations for his adoption. Torrente scored!! Now living happily in Colorado with other canine companions and a loving family, he is living the life! He is Recovering from his fear of men and he is showing lots of affection to his forever family they love him dearly. That is Torrente, a lucky Podenco from Palencia.
Jacobo aka Argos: Scooby Galgo, prior life unknown other than he was fortunate to end up at Scooby. Having had a tough beginning in Spain, and even at the shelter, his transition in the states was a bit rocky at first, but thanks to his new mom and dad and their patience, Argos is now adjusted to living in a home and has charmed them with his loving and silly nature. He has become a beloved pack member to their existing canines and is said to be the life of the party! Way to go Argos! You are our Rock Star!
Lilly and Lolli: Abandoned Galgo puppies, three months old, somehow made their way to Scooby Medina. Adorable, what can you say about Galgo puppies! Who can resist a galgo puppy, not volunteer Debbie Grega, who had picked Lolli out before the trip, in fact we were also able to bring her sister Lilly in the same crate as we had a wonderful adopter in Pennsylvania who had contacted Sandra Baas in Spain to find out how she could adopt a galgo puppy. Sandra referred her to GRIN and thus began the trip of a lifetime! Both girls doing great with Greyhound brothers and sisters and keeping new moms, Debbie and Colleen, on their toes!
Andy aka Murphy: 5-month-old Andy was emaciated and had a tough beginning when he came to Scooby. No one knows much about him, he simply caught our attention on the website; the sad look on his face, the droopy ears, you know�the galgo look. He was so very fortunate to come to the U.S. He was ill when he arrived, but his new family nursed him back to health. He is now a happy and confident little guy who loves playing with his young German Shepherd packmate. He learned the ropes of living in comfort very quickly, his 5-year-old� Princess� Galga has taught him well. Here's to a good life, Mr. Murphy!
Perico: An ethereal white Galgo from Scooby, Perico desperately needed a person to call his own. He found his angel in Chris, the GRIN volunteer. He chose her. He needed her. Emaciated and low in the pack order in the paddock, life was very hard for Perico. All that changed as Chris, (who had planned her trip with no intention of adopting!), could not leave her boy behind. She made his dream come true, a story every Galgo needs..home sweet home with canine friends and a loving family..Perico is our Dream Boy�
Silas: A middle-aged Spanish hunting dog, a Brittany spaniel. Long time resident of Scooby. He had been overlooked for more than a year until a Colorado angel named Lisa chose him for a better life. Now living with a pack of Greyhounds and other canines, Silas has come home..after much grooming his hair is soft and curly..a sweet gentleman, thanks to an angel..
Teo: Teo was our first arrival in the fall with another Scooby volunteer, Eva of Canada. Teo's story starts in Sevilla. She lived in a hording situation with hundreds of malnourished and sick dogs, neglected, suffering..Scooby came to the rescue and brought many of these poor dogs to the shelter. Teo was one of many. A rough coated Galgo she made an impression on her new owner and she said yes to Teo and offered her a good life in upstate NY. She has room to run and play with Greyhound and canine friends. Life is good in her loving home. Teo is home..
These are our stories of our last group, thanks to all of our supporters we can make dreams come true. The Magnificent 7 (plus 1) thank you for helping us help them and those still in Spain. These dogs get the medical care they need with the supplies we send and again we thank all of you, our supporters. Happy Holidays!
Telma Shaw
Board Member
G.R.I.N.
When El Inocente came to me it was because I volunteered to foster one of the galgo / galgo mixes coming into Elite Greyhound Adoptions in West Palm Beach, Fl. After a few days, I changed his name to Lucky because I believe he is sooo Lucky to be alive after the abuse and neglected broken leg that he suffered before he was LUCKY enough to be saved by such wonderful people.
The first two weeks, Inocente / Lucky would just hide and slink in between my group of 4 greyhounds as they moved in and out between the house and backyard or feeding bowls or to play. He wanted nothing to with me as he was absolutely terrified.
One of my cats ( a feral who is the absolute sweetest guy ever and who truly believes he is a dog -- a big dog -- possibly a greyhound) was his first friend. They began to play a lot with each other. Lucky began to loosen up and then we began to play silly little games to gain trust with a human touch. After many attempts and many different ways to try to allow him to be comfortable with human touch, I found he would tolerate me touching his front paws with less anxiety than anywhere else. So, I would first nicely, softly pet his front paws and then when he got used to that, I would tap his front paws (still the only part of his body he would even remotely allow me touch comfortably) while he was laying down and eventually, he saw the game and began to jump and hop around to hide his front paws and come right back to do it again...and...yep....look at that.....his tail does wag!!!
Lucky is ALL puppy personality and can be quite the destroyer, but he is so cute you can't stay mad at him for long...no matter how costly it gets : ) He has gained weight, trust, and is 100% puppy 100% of the time. (He is making up for his lost youth I believe.) As soon as I come home from work, he runs and gets one of his toys. He is definitely the irritating little brother to my other 4 greyhounds, all of whom love and tolerate him as he walks on them, runs into them....you get the picture!
Lucky is doing wonderfully. He loves to hunt lizards and stalk squirrels in the backyard and will let me touch and pet and hug and kiss him anywhere and will flop right over and expose his belly for a good rub!! He is doing well on walks and is becoming more trusting of and playful with strangers. That old neglected and poorly healed injury to his rear leg is still very visibly deformed and makes him walk bowlegged, but the skin has toughened up with a nice callous and he no longer has the sensitivity to it that he did when he arrived. It definitely does not slow him down as he runs and jumps in the yard (and house) and gets on my bed where he sleeps. He is so very smart and eager to please, although at times you can still see the result of memories of an abusive past. I am going to see how he continues to do and then may work with him to have him certfied as a therapy dog along with 2 of my greyhounds who are already certified. If he can overcome his fear of recalling situations that remind him of his abusive past I believe he will make such a special therapy dog. I know that as people (mentally or physically challenged kids, soldiers returning home with life changing injuries) in difficult situations, with their own physical injuries or difficulties will be reminded and encouraged of what the soul has the power to overcome.
Oh ya, the foster home here is a complete FAILURE, and he will be staying here as his forever home. God Bless everyone who helped this great little guy as he made his way from an abusive past, and then to the safety of the rescue in Spain, the long plane and car rides to Elite Geryhound Adoption and then....to me. THANK YOU! Now I am the lucky one!Be safe.
God Bless. Vanessa
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Dedicated to the welfare of the Spanish Galgo and Sighthounds worldwide.
Galgo Rescue International Network (GRIN) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization run entirely by volunteers that was founded to establish a relationship between the animal shelters in Spain and animal lovers in the United States and around the world. Our love of Greyhounds and concern for their plight drew us to their cousins — the galgos.
Working closely with Spanish shelters, GRIN raises awareness of the Spanish Greyhound's plight through international educational campaigns and fundraising. We also aid shelters and assist with adoptions for rehomed sighthounds in the U.S. with the primary goals being to provide practical help and supplies to the Spanish shelters and to inspire change in the treatment of the Galgo Espnaõl and the Podenco through public informational and educational campaigns.
Galgo Rescue International Network | 17784 North County Road 15, Wellington, CO 80549