Terrible cruelty to hunting dogs sanctioned by the Spanish government.

Hunting dogs in Spain have a truly hellish existence. Bred to be ruthless killing machines, they experience relentless torture and abuse, their lives cut tragically short when they are no longer ‘useful’ to the hunters.

With you on our side, we can save them from endless suffering and agonizing deaths. Read on to find out how you can help…

Spain was once home to a diverse array of wildlife, but that natural wildlife has been almost entirely wiped out. In its place are cramped breeding farms and puppy mills, churning out dogs for hunting and small critters for the hunters and dogs to kill. 

Hunting is big business in Spain, with around 87% of the nation designated as hunting territory. Some game farms exist for the sole purpose of supplying partridges and other birds for hunters to kill. 

Even worse are the puppy mills that breed hunting dogs, also known as galgos and podencos.

Due to lax laws, many of these dogs exist in deplorable conditions, living in their own feces, on short chains in the baking heat. The dogs are deliberately kept as hungry as possible to encourage aggression and violence, often given nothing but murky green water to drink.

Starvation is common and dead dogs cannibalized by their ravenous fellow inmates.

Dogs that are seen as not being aggressive enough for the season’s hunt are ruthlessly killed or discarded. Often they are dumped in suffocating heat with no water or shade and little possibility of survival.

On a recent summer rescue mission, we found dogs so desperate to escape the brutal sun they had tunnelled into the ground in an attempt to find relief. Tragically, many of them succumbed to the heat. The sight of their suffering is something we will never forget, and it drives us to fight even harder to save these exploited dogs.  

The hunting season is due to start again in September, and the cycle of horror and abuse continues. 

Every year, as many as half a million Spanish greyhounds and podencos are bred for the hunting industry, fed into a churning machine of hunting competitions, tours and events – a parade of death for human entertainment. 

Spain is one of only eight countries in the world that still allows this kind of barbaric hunting with dogs as a recreational sport. The partridge farms that feed the sport are also a shocking scene of suffering – with up to half a million birds in one facility alone used to lure hunters to “scenic” hunting trips in Spain, where they will be torn apart by the starved dogs for human amusement.

It is no surprise that the hunting lobby wants to keep this shameful secret hidden from the public.

We and our partners expose and challenge this cruelty through public campaigns and lobbying. Because of our efforts, public opinion is starting to change.

As they work to save animal lives, my team faces harassment, death threats and assault. But this will not stop us from fighting for these dogs – who are shockingly excluded from animal welfare laws in Spain.

Our partners rescued nearly 1,800 dogs from horrific suffering in 2023 alone, and their shelters are constantly at capacity. Adoptions have dropped since the end of COVID, and our teams need your support now more than ever to continue their vital work. 

We must organize logistics to provide rescued dogs with the medical treatments they need, and to ensure the necessary legal actions such as police investigations and prosecutions take place. 

Here’s how your donations will help us save lives: 

• $5 (£3.90) will feed a rescued dog for a day 

• $15 (£11.70) will transport a dog from a cruel breeding facility to a sanctuary

• $50 (£39) will provide a dog with crucial medication and vaccinations

Please donate generously today.

For the animals,

Gloria Davies (and Max and Flora!)
CEO and Founder
Network for Animals

P.S. The hunting industry is highly influential in Spain – we have to stand up for these dogs, and we hope you will donate today to show your support.

Banner credit: NFA/Dejan Radic