Some of the dogs have been tortured – burned with cigarettes and acid – some dumped to die in tunnels, hung in trees or released on busy motorways.
Others have been left with broken bones to starve to death.
In at least one case, a rope had become so deeply encrusted in the neck of a greyhound it had to be surgically removed by a vet while dozens of others have had gaping, open wounds – the results of abuse - by the time they are found by volunteers across Spain.
Shocking pictures taken by vets and volunteers held in the files of the Middlesex-based charity Greyhounds in Need (GIN) show the scale of the problem that has seen the group help save and treat between 6,000-7,000 greyhounds since it was formed in 1998.
Many have been found homes with families in Britain and across Europe - all treated by vets in Spain at shelters supported by the group.
Disturbing new video recently obtained by GIN and filmed undercover in the Spanish countryside shows locally-bred hunting greyhounds, known as galgos in Spain, being held from the back of a pick-up on leashes and made to keep up with the vehicle as part of their training for blood-sport competition during the four-month long hare coursing season.
When the video of the five greyhounds being ‘dragged’ from behind the truck was shown by GIN at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, there was outrage.
‘They are awful pictures,’ said Martin Humphery, of GIN, ‘It is very clear that they are suffering greatly.
‘We hope that it will finally help open eyes to the kind of abuse that is going on. It is very disturbing but sadly typical of the kind of things that is going on with these poor galgos. There is supreme neglect and cruelty on a large scale.
'We have had cases of dogs being tied to rocks and left to starve to death, others with cigarette burns and some just thrown over fences and abandoned with broken legs.’
GIN works with a network of shelters across Spain where the primary rescue and treatments are carried out. It funds vets, treatment, shelters and care – and assists in finding homes with families of greyhound lovers in Britain, Italy, Belgium and France.
Among those supporting the organisation, which spends around £250,000 a year on saving the dogs – funding comes mainly from donations and two shops on the South Coast run by the charity - is comedian Ricky Gervais, who has highlighted the plight and mistreatment of greyhounds around the world on Twitter.
Oscar winning actress Dame Judi Dench, author Jilly Cooper and actor Peter Egan, a star of Downton Abbey – the owner of six rescue dogs - are among GIN’s heavy-weight patrons.
Last month a shipment of eight dogs arrived at GIN’s kennels at Wraysbury, near Windsor, while they await adoption with their details posted on the organisation’s website.
In Spain, they had been treated at shelters, sterilised, micro chipped and have been tested and found clear of Mediterranean diseases before they come to the UK.
Not all are abandoned to die, some are left outside shelters because they are no longer of use and some merely dumped over the shelter fence – several broke bones in this way.
Others are rescued injured and terrified from dog pounds, known to rescue groups locally as ‘killing stations'.
One dog was found hanging from a tree while many are found with badly damaged legs caught in snare traps.
‘We hear some dreadful stories of how the galgos are treated,’ Mr Humphery said, ‘The standard of care is very low, the hunting season takes place in very hot ghastly conditions and once that is over there is often little need for the galgos.
'We are not just talking neglect but cruelty. Some have been tied up to rocks and left to starve to death.
‘We are thankful for the goodwill of some very dedicated Spanish people, who are often derided by the local community they live among because of their attitudes and work in trying to help the galgos.
‘Yes, Spain is in Europe but these are often very macho rural communities and the welfare of the dogs is not a priority.
'It is a problem that national and local governments choose not to address.
‘While some laws do exist concerning the mistreatment of animals, prosecution are extremely rare. It is just not something most people seem to care or worry about.’
One of the many cases highlighted by GIN, is that of is that of Fuga, ‘a lovely white galga’, (a female) that was found with a terrible slash in her neck from an incrusted rope in the Huelva area of Spain popular with tourists.
A volunteer found her and she was treated – the cost picked-up by GIN. She made a full recovery and has been adopted by a family.
‘It was a disgraceful case,’ said Mr Humphery.
(Daily Mail - Jan 9, 2015)
Scooby is the name of a rescue in Spain that rescues mostly galgos. Reading about them just about broke my heart.
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