We are very aware that much of the help we are able to give to the shelters in Spain, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, is at best first aid.
Our education programme is very much a long-term project but like many charities we feel that education is the way forward and continue to be very pleased with the positive response this continues to receive.
We are often asked what can be done to prosecute the people who abandon and/or cruelly treat the galgos.
We have worked with ADANA in Badajoz for some years now. They do not have their own shelter and the dogs they help are placed in foster homes until adopted. We fund the veterinary and transport costs for their galgos travelling to Italy to homes.
They are a group who always denounce any abandoned dogs they rescue and will, when possible, take such cases to court.
We asked Eva at ADANA to write an article for us regarding the procedures they have to follow.
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Dear Friends,
When we find an abandoned dog, ADANA always denounces, even if the dog doesn’t have a chip.
It’s very important to do this and to record the day and time of the rescue, where, the conditions in which the dog was found and the vet who checked the chip. There have been cases where “the owner” has made a complaint against us for alleged misappropriation but thanks to the denouncement we have been able to show that the dog was abandoned or lost when found.
In order for a denouncement to be processed correctly and in a timely manner, everything has to be “perfect” with no loose ends and even then, many times it doesn’t go forward and is filed.
If the dog has a chip, the vet checks the official database and calls the phone number which appears in the register. Many times, it’s impossible to locate someone and then we have to claim ownership of the dog via legal or administrative means.
If the owner is found……. there are many different situations, depending on the circumstances in which the dog is found and specially if it is a galgo. If the dog is a galgo, ADANA always tries to get the owner to hand the dog over. Almost always we manage to do this as the majority of the galgueros don’t know what the procedure is when they lose a dog or when they give it to another galguero.
During all these years, we’ve had to return only one galgo because the galguero had reported his dog stolen and it was impossible to convince him to hand the dog over. In 100% of cases, even though they give the dog up to ADANA, a denouncement is made and in 99% of cases, they are punished via administrative means. In 1%, as in Roma’s case, the abandonment was treated via judicial means. In any event, it’s extremely emotionally draining, takes a lot of time and money………
When we have to return a galgo it’s very upsetting for us because in the majority of the cases, it will end badly, but for the moment it has happened only once, as we have told you. We will never remove a chip or do anything illegal. They’re the criminals, not us and we must be consistent if we want to change this terrible situation with the galgos in Spain.
Fortunately, the team of lawyers who handle ADANA’s cases are outstanding and when we go to court, we know that there is an 80% chance of winning. Up to now, they have done the work in an altruistic manner but obviously, we have to talk to them about starting to pay for their work. They dedicate a lot of time and fundamental work in the fight against abandonment and we can’t do without it. Now comes one of our problems: the money….
This is a summary of the usual proceedings even though each case has its peculiarities. It’s very important for you to know that not only do we denounce cruelty cases but also cases in which the “relevant authorities” have not acted according to the “Animal Protection Law of Extremadura”. ……A hug for all our friends at GIN.
Eva
We are very impressed with ADANA and the work they are doing. We sponsored their III Congreso De Derecho Animal De Extremadura in 2017. We have again offered some funding towards their legal costs regarding a cruelty case they are currently involved with involving 4 galgos.
