Former actress and global sex symbol, Brigitte Bardot, who is now widely renowned for her work as an animal rights activist, has written an ‘open letter to Spain’ in which she calls for a ban in the practice of hunting using Spanish Galgo dogs.
The French icon said that she was urgently pleading and sending out an SOS call to Spain, King Felipe VI, the Prime Minister, the Government, media and the whole of the Spanish population to wake up and do something about the “vile, cruel and barbaric” treatment of these dogs that are specifically bred for hunting.
She pointed out that Spain is now the only country left that uses this breed of dog in this manner, which is hardly surprising when you consider the treatment of bulls here.
It has been estimated that as many as 50,000 galgos, or Spanish greyhounds as they are also referred to, die a year – and that’s not by natural causes, either.
At the end of each hunting season, the dogs, which are used to hunt hares in the countryside, that are deemed no longer of use are either abandoned and end up starving to death, hung from trees, thrown down wells alive or shot and dumped on rubbish heaps. There are very few owners that will actually take their unwanted animals to a sanctuary or retreat.
“Spanish galgos should not serve only to satisfy sadistic, primal and cruel individuals, who without any sense of shame use their dominant position to carry out the worst imaginable torture on these poor, innocent animals,” summarised Bardot in her plea to Spain.
Even when these dogs are alive, they are kept in the most awful conditions – barely alive and on the brink of starvation (hunters believe that dogs hunt better when they are starved), kept in isolated, cramped, dark quarters with barely any human contact, no exercise or room to move and certainly no love or affection. They are fed stale bread once a week and water and if they are ill, rarely receive medical attention from a vet.
Yesterday, manifestations were held all across the country in protest against hunting with galgos and other breeds of hunting dog. It is hoped that Spain and the Spanish government will finally listen to the people and do something to stop the ongoing abuse of these dogs and other animals.
For further information about the Spanish greyhound and organizations that rescue these dogs, please visit: www.galgorescue.org
Source: www.antena3.com, www.galgorescue.org, www.esdaw.eu
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