I've decided to dedicate my Friday blogs to my
favorite things. The first Friday of the month I will feature something inspirational; the second Friday of the month will feature my wine of the month (I really have a closet longing to write for
Wine Enthusiast or
Wine Spectator--ha!); the third Friday will feature a sighthound of the month (specifically, one that needs a new home); and the last Friday will feature my favorite book of the month.
So today is Sighthound Friday, but before I reveal my dog of the month, I want to take a minute to talk about her breed and the plight these dogs are currently facing. The galgo is a Spanish greyhound. They look pretty much the same, they act pretty much the same, and have pretty much the same temperament as the American retired racing greyhound. In Spain, the galgos are used for hunting, much like we would use our American hunting dogs (to flush quarry, lead hunters to them, etc.). The difference is that the galgo is not typically considered a companion animal in Spain. They are utilitarian only, and when the hunters (
galgueros) are finished for the season, the dogs are discarded, abandoned, or killed (I won't even go into the unspeakable ways many of these dogs are killed, let alone how poorly they're treated in general).
There are now several organizations in Spain attempting to educate hunters and the community at large about these dogs and they fact that they're not just objects to be thrown away (many galgos are actually thrown down wells and left to die).
Galgos del Sol and
Baas Galgos are working hard to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome these beautiful dogs. Part of the rehoming process involves several organizations here in the states. These organizations work with the Spanish ones to ship the dogs to foster and adoptive homes here in the U.S. One of the organization is
The Sighthound Underground. SHUG boasts volunteers all over the country who foster and transport these dogs when they arrive at various airports (some even fly to and from Spain to accompany the dogs' travels). SHUG also transports sighthounds (Afghans, Salukis, Borzoi, etc.) from places like Qatar and Korea.
Finally, I want to reveal our dog of the month. This is Reyna.
Reyna is a four-year-old galgo who has apparently had a very tough life thus far. More than likely she was badly abused by a male hunter, as she is fearful of men. Now, this is not to say that she will always be this way--she needs to have her trust in men rebuilt, but she might do best with experienced dog owners, a single lady, or a household of women, etc. According to her foster mom, Reyna is quiet, crate-trained, and dog-friendly. She is loving and affectionate to those she knows and approaches familiar folks for pets. Having said that, Reyna has been overlooked at adoption events because it takes her a little while to warm up to new people.
In the right home and with a lot of love and patience, Reyna has the potential to overcome her fear of men. She does need to be in a cat-free home, as she's trained to hunt fast, furry critters, but other dogs are fine.
If you are interested in Reyna, you can submit an application through
The Sighthound Underground. Reyna's adoption fee is $300.
