HUNDREDS of people and their pets are set to take to British streets in a series of ‘peaceful protests demanding an end to the mistreatment of hunting dogs in Spain.
They want to see a ban of the traditional practice involving the use of large packs of the animals to drive prey towards hunters.
The dogs, primarily Galgo and Padenco breeds, live the most miserable lives, claim the protesters.
They spend their working lives ‘on a short chain without shelter from extreme weather’ or worse, ‘crammed into dark sheds,’ insists charity Hope for Podencos, that rescues and rehomes the dogs.
This organisation is fighting for Podencos, and other hunting dogs, that are currently unprotected by Spanish law.
Incredibly, in 2023 Spain’s Parliament excluded these hounds from the nation’s new animal welfare legislation.
The decision led to the formation of UK-based group Free Spanish Hounds (FSH) to demand legal protection for them.
Free Spanish Hounds is one of the organisers of the protests, taking place on January 31 and February 1 in Exeter, Glasgow, Manchester and London.
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It is this selected weekend that marks the end of the Spanish hunting season, a time when up to 100,000 dogs are abandoned or killed each year.
This is often done in awful ways that ‘intend to prolong suffering,’ claims a FSH spokesman.
“It is cheaper to get rid of the old dogs and breed or buy new ones for the next season, than keep a pack fed until the following season,” adds Hope for Podencos.
One dog who narrowly escaped death when he was rescued in 2019 is ‘Pip’, a once neglected Spanish Podenco discarded due to having broken teeth.
Following his rescue Pip now works as a therapy dog in the UK, supporting children and helping them to improve their literacy and wellbeing.
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Pip’s owner Libby is one of many Brits who is passionate about helping Spanish hunting hounds.
These individuals will be those taking to the streets on the last weekend of January, alongside others in 45 Spanish cities and 35 locations across Europe.
Despite having borders between them, protestors will collectively advocate for the end of ‘the suffering of Spanish hunting dogs,’ according to Adva Shimsy, founder of FSH.
The message they are presenting is ‘simple’, says Teresa Rodriguez, the organiser of the No a la caza (NAC) international protests.
“These dogs are not ‘tools’, they are living beings who deserve protection under the law. By mobilising internationally, we’re urging visitors to Spain to speak out against these cruel practices and create diplomatic pressure on the Spanish administration,” she says.
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