Dozens of protesters and their dogs marched through Glasgow city centre this weekend, demanding legal protection for hunting dogs in Spain. The demonstration comes ahead of February 1, when Spain's hunting season ends and up to 100,000 galgos and podencos face abandonment or death.
The Glasgow march, starting from Glasgow Green, was one of four UK protests held simultaneously in London, Manchester and Exeter. Campaigners carried placards reading «No to hunting with dogs in Spain» and «Free Spanish hunting dogs».
No legal protection
Spanish hunting dogs remain excluded from the country's 2023 animal welfare law. The legislation classifies galgos and podencos as "tools" rather than protected animals, leaving them vulnerable when hunters discard them at season's end.
An Di Prima, who organised the Glasgow march, said: «When the hunting season ends lots of these dogs get discarded, but also tortured and killed, and that's just because they are not protected by the law.» She explained the economic incentive behind the abuse: «For the hunters it's cheaper to discard the dogs and then next year get new dogs than to keep the current ones.»
Di Prima highlighted the legal disparity: «It's not fair that a pet dog has a higher level of protection under the law than greyhounds and podencos.»
International rescue efforts
Many rescued Spanish hunting dogs are rehomed in the UK. Val Pirie from Inverurie owns seven former Spanish hunting dogs - two podencos and five galgos. She told protesters: «They are such lovable creatures and they are great as family pets.»
Pirie described the scale of the crisis: «There are so many abandoned each year, up to 100,000 that are discarded and the pounds in Spain are overflowing.»
Growing campaign
Free Spanish Hounds, a UK-based volunteer organisation formed in summer 2023, is now in its third year of protests. Co-founder Adva Shimshy said: «Our peaceful protests are expanding as we continue raising awareness of the suffering of Spanish hunting dogs which continues in plain sight.»
The organisation pledged to continue campaigning: «We will stand with campaigners in Spain for as long as it takes until galgos and podencos are finally given the legal protection they deserve and desperately need.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
