Spanje kent nauwelijks wetten en regelgeving met betrekking tot dierenbescherming, maar het lijkt erop dat zelfs de minimale wetten niet worden nageleefd en dat er geen controle plaatsvindt. Belangrijk echter is dat er momenteel wordt gewerkt aan nieuwe wetgeving die gevangenisstraffen in het vooruitzicht stelt van drie maanden tot een jaar voor degenen die zich strafbaar maken aan het, ten onrechte mishandelen van huisdieren, wat leidt tot verwondingen/of de dood. Daarnaast riskeren zij hun ‘hondensport' tenminste voor de periode van 1 tot 3 jaar niet te mogen bedrijven.

Een ander probleem is dat de Galgo in Spanje een niet erkend ras is en dus niet geregistreerd hoeft te worden. Resultaat is dat iedereen ongelimiteerd kan fokken met deze honden.

Het jachtseizoen begint in Spanje in September en loopt door tot half Januari. Tijdens en na dit jachtseizoen worden er duizenden honden in heel Spanje gedumpt. Deze honden zijn vaak jong (1 tot 3 jaar). Jagers kunnen ongelimiteerd beschikken over ‘nieuw bloed' omdat er onverantwoordelijk met Galgo's en andere jachthonden wordt gefokt. Totdat de Spaanse regering verantwoordelijkheid neemt en de hondenbezitters en jagers belasting laat betalen voor het bezit van honden en een registratiesysteem opzet, zal deze situatie niet veranderen en zullen de opvangcentra in Spanje, waaronder Scooby, jaarlijks overstelpt worden met honden.

Voorbeelden van acties en brieven:

To the Mayor and local Government of Jechun City
And the management of Greyhound Park.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The International Greyhound and Galgo Network (IGGN) makes a strong protest against the intentions of Jechun City and Greyhound Park concerning the legalization of dog races and gambling using Greyhound racing. IGGN is a world wide network for the protection of Greyhounds and Galgos with animal welfare member organizations in the USA and the most important European countries.

First of all, we would like to point out that gambling is, in every way, bad for people and animals. With humans it leads to greed, bigotry and decline of humanity.

As for dog races, or any gambling contests with animals for that matter, they have a few forbidden aspects:
1. Dogs attach themselves to their masters and try to please them. They like to play and compete for their own fun. They will simply do what their masters demand, in bad cases their masters will force them to perform beyond their ability. Consequently hard races and frequent contests cripple or kill them.
2. When gambling is involved, the dogs are used for gains. We cannot stress enough the point that greedy dog owners have a very foggy notion of the "fun" that their dogs derive from forced performances. In their prime they will be exploited to the full to enrich their masters. As they wear out and decline in their performances, they turn into objects that are punished, tortured, killed or at best abandoned.
3. Generally there is no social or emotional investment in exploited dogs and therefore they are seldom socialized. In our experience the dogs that are worn out and disposed of, have a very difficult future, if any, to find a new home.

For each of these reasons alone dogs should be protected and consequently dog races should be banned. There is a very thin line between "sportive amusement" and maltreatment. By definition this line is passed when animals become the partners of gamblers. This has been proven time and again on racecourses all over the world like in the USA, England and Spain.
On behalf of the dogs that have no say in this matter we urge you to stop (any legalization of, or lobbying for) Greyhound racing under your jurisdiction and responsibility.

With best regards,

Hazenkamplaan 90
5345 NV Oss
Fax: 0495-652789
E-mail: info@greyhoundsinnood.nl
Bankrelatie ABN-AMRO
te Roermond: 53.42.40.402
K.v.K. te Roermond 13043000
www.greyhoundsinnood.nl
Den Haag, 16 oktober 2003

Aan de Leden van de Tweede Kamer der Staten Generaal

Betreft dierenwelzijn /terrorisme

Dames en heren,

Graag richten wij ons tot u met het volgende.
Greyhounds in Nood Nederland is een organisatie die zich sinds 1999 bezighoudt met het "bestrijden" van de Spaanse traditie om jachthonden, met name Galgos (de Spaanse variant Greyhound), die niet meer gebruikt kunnen worden voor de jacht levend op te hangen, te verbranden of achter rijdende auto's te binden.
Dit zijn slechts enkele voorbeelden van manieren waarop jachthonden in Spanje aan hun einde komen. Indien ze niet door mensen handen gedood worden, worden de dieren in dunbevolkte gebieden achtergelaten om uiteindelijk van honger en dorst om te komen. De vrijwilligers van onze stichting (met meer dan 1500 Nederlandse donateurs) trachten de Spaanse autoriteiten op een vreedzame manier te overtuigen bovengenoemde wrede traditie strafbaar te stellen. Ook steunt onze stichting twee Spaanse opvangcentra en trachten wij Spaanse honden in Nederland geadopteerd te krijgen, volgens strikte procedures.
Wij hebben kennis genomen van het voornemen van een aantal kamerleden om actieve dierenbeschermers aan te merken als terroristen. Dat bevreemdt ons omdat de strafwetgeving al voorziet in de aanpak van al dan niet door activisten gepleegde misdrijven. Het ontgaat ons welk specifiek door dierenactivisten gepleegd misdrijf buiten de strafwet zou vallen.
Genoemd voorstel van enkele kamerleden om actieve bemoeienis met het dierenwelzijn als terrorisme aan te merken stigmatiseert vele legaal werkende mensen en organisaties. Mensen en organisaties die iedere vorm van geweld nadrukkelijk afwijzen.
Wij verzoeken U om nadere uitwerking van deze dwaling, die ons ook internationaal schaadt, te voorkomen en legale acties voor de bescherming van dieren niet verder in diskrediet te brengen.
Maar vooral - en dat is nog veel belangrijker dan al het voorgaande -verzoeken wij U om de wetgeving voor dierenbescherming en dierenwelzijn te behouden en te versterken. Wij betreuren de kennelijke afkalving in deze kabinetsperiode van een diervriendelijke attitude en de zo moeizaam opgebouwde wet- en regelgeving.

Met vriendelijke groet,
Resy Haanen, voorzitter
Stichting Greyhounds in Nood Nederland

Mildert 1
6031 SM Nederweert
Telefoon: 0495-652836
Fax: 0495-652789
E-mail: ginn_nederland@yahoo.com
Bankrelatie ABN-AMRO
te Roermond: 53.42.40.402
K.v.K. te Roermond 13043000
www.greyhoundsinnood.nl

Aan de directie van Tiscali,

Met grote belangstelling hebben wij als stichting Greyhounds in Nood Nederland de laatste dagen uw nieuwe reclame op de televisie gevolgd. De reden daarvoor is het gebruik van een ons erg na aan het hart liggend hondenras, de greyhound.

Het is geweldig om te zien dat dit fantastische dier nu eens in de schijnwerpers gezet wordt als snel, betrouwbaar en uniek.
Helaas hebben wij als stichting de ervaring dat dit niet de normale manier is waarop dit fantastische dier gebruikt wordt. Sinds enige jaren zijn wij bezig met het onder de aandacht brengen van de gewoonte van de mens om misbruik te maken van dit zachtaardige dier.
Dat een bedrijf als het uwe juist een greyhound als mascotte heeft gekozen, een oud maar in Nederland een weinig bekend ras, verheugd ons meer dan wij kunnen zeggen en we hopen dan ook dat dit positieve gevolgen voor uw bedrijf, maar ook voor het ras heeft. Want het spijt ons dit te moeten zeggen, maar er is geen enkel hondenras op deze wereld dat zo heeft moeten lijden onder de commercie als de greyhound.
Als u mij toestaat wil ik u dit graag uitleggen. De greyhound wordt vooral in Ierland gefokt voor de renbaan, per jaar ruim 20.000 pups. In Amerika gaat het om nog veel grotere getallen. Meer dan driekwart van deze honden haalt het eerste levensjaar niet. De honden die overblijven gaan daarna naar de renbaan waar zij geld gaan verdienen voor hun eigenaren. Voldoen zij niet dan worden zij afgedankt of in het geval van de Ierse honden, verkocht naar b.v. Spanje. Daar mogen zij op de renbaan van Barcelona nog 1 a 2 seizoenen lopen onder erbarmelijke omstandigheden. Als ik u vertel dat de gemiddelde levensverwachting van deze greyhounds 3 a 4 jaar is, terwijl zij bij goede verzorging gemakkelijk 14 jaar oud kunnen worden, hoef ik u niet te vertellen dat er iets mis is in de omgang van de mens met dit fantastische dier. Vooral niet als ik u vertel dat Spanjaarden de gewoonte hebben om deze honden te bedanken voor hun inzet door ze op te hangen of b.v. in de brand te steken. In Amerika zijn vorig jaar massa graven gevonden met afgeschoten greyhounds waarvan de oren waren afgesneden om identificatie van de eigenaren te voorkomen. En dit is maar een klein voorbeeld van hoe dit ras heeft te lijden onder de mens.

Wij hopen dan ook dat een bedrijf als de uwe het niet laat bij het gebruiken van dit oeroude, intelligente ras, maar ook daadwerkelijk toont dat u als mondiaal opererend bedrijf hart voor alle levende wezens hebt en het niet laat bij gebruik van dit fantastische dier.
Zou het b.v. misschien mogelijk zijn om in het laatste reclame spotje, dat naar wij hebben begrepen de overwinning van de Tiscali greyhound op de renbaan laat zien, een scene toe te voegen waarin de hond thuis ontspannen op de bank ligt na te genieten van zijn overwinning? Want in tegenstelling tot de realiteit die voor veel van deze honden inhoudt dat het leven eindigt na de renbaan, zien wij liever dat voor de greyhound het echte leven dan begint.
Mochten wij uw interesse en medeleven gewekt hebben, zijn wij graag bereid om u meer informatie te doen toekomen over deze geweldige dieren en het misbruik dat nog dagelijks plaats vindt. Daarvoor kunt u contact opnemen met mevrouw Resy Haanen, voorzitter van de stichting Greyhounds in Nood Nederland. Zij is dagelijks te bereiken via telefoon nummer 0495-652836.

Met vriendelijke groeten namens,
Resy Haanen.
(voorzitter GINN)

Petra Hartlief

Leiden, 28 November 2001
Dear Sr. Aznar,

We address you as a representation of Spanish leaders with great influence on the Spanish Citizens.

Greyhounds In Nood (distress) is a Dutch organization, which was created in 1999 to benefit the Greyhounds and Galgos in Spain when they retire from racing or hunting and are no longer wanted by the industry or the hunters. Our foundation is being run by volunteers and has just recently welcomed it's 1000th member/supporter.

Greyhounds in Nood (distress) has worked hard these past couple of years to rescue these dogs in Spain and to give them a chance to live their lives as loving pets in Holland We have rescued and placed about 350 Greyhounds and Galgos in family homes in Holland where they have become treasured by their owners. Nevertheless this is a sorry number if we take into account the fact that in Spain yearly thousands and thousands of dogs are abandoned or killed.

We became aware of the situation that exists in Spain regarding its hunting Galgos in 1999. It was appalling to read about these animals being hung in olive groves, impaled, burned alive, thrown into wells, just because hunting season was over and the culture allowed and encouraged it. Then we began to receive the pictures, gruesome and pathetic. We made contact with those in Spain who struggle to help these dogs survive and for the past couple of years much of our efforts have concentrated on the Scooby Refuge in Medina del Campo. We have financially supported the Scooby Refuge and we made generous donations to be used to help build a new refuge in Medina del Campo, which recently opened. Now, at least in Medina, there is a place for the hunters to drop off their unwanted Galgos so they will not hang them.

Still, the brutality goes on around Spain. An additional problem is that the Galgo in Spain isn't registered so anyone can breed them in huge numbers and there is no law whatsoever to protect them.

We have now decided to turn our attention to alerting the Spanish government to the fact we are aware of the suffering and we are also aware of the neglect by officials to prohibit the behavior because we cannot year after year bring Spanish dogs to Holland or other countries of Europe. That's why we started, on an European level, an action, which resulted in almost a QUARTER OF A MILLION protest cards against the way the Spanish people treat their dogs. Holland has produced about 30.000 signature cards and Germany
(Greyhound Protection International) about 12.000 signature cards which has been delivered to the round table conference in Barcelona Thursday 15 November.

In Holland we got a lot of media attention with our protest campaign and people kept phoning us and asking for cards to be send to them, because they were shocked about the Spanish indifference towards the welfare of their animals. One article in a national newspaper resulted in hundreds of telephone calls in 1 weekend.

Initially we were planning to present all of the cards to the European Parliament under the new presidency of a Spanish chairman in January 2002, but after having heard of the tragedy in Tarragona we decided that we couldn't wait. We heard by means of SOS Galgos that a debate on the Catalan Animal Protect Laws was going to take place in Barcelona and therefore decided to at least present the 42.000 Dutch + German cards to this round table meeting in the hope that it helps to amend some laws to the benefit of all those poor abused dogs in Spain. Following this meeting we have asked the Barcelona Veterinary Body to forward our cards to your Queen Sofia in the hope that she can use the voice of these 42.000 people to make the Spanish government leaders understand that making the necessary changes in the Spanish Penal Code will not only protect innocent animals, but will also help control other forms of violence such as domestic violence and child abuse. We understand the fear the Spanish government is showing in making these necessary changes while protecting Spanish traditions, but Spain's rich culture can be very well preserved without the cruel parts of it. We just ask you to help us protect pet animals and the Greyhounds and Galgo's (who don't have the status of pets, although they are perfectly suitable to live as companion animals), as a first step to fight cruelty and violence.

In the sincere hope of you being able to help us, I remain respectfully yours,

P.S. Just recently, on the 3rd of October, we, Greyhounds in Nood Netherlands, have given a presentation on behalf of the Greyhounds and Galgos in Ireland and Spain, for the Eurogroup on Animal Welfare in Strasbourg.
In this presentation we drew, amongst others, attention to the terrible conditions in which about 700 tot 750 racing Greyhounds are forced to live in the Santa Coloma kennels near Barcelona.

Persbericht

Leiden, 27-4-02

On the 23rd of April the Spanish government has decided to keep Spain in the stone age in animal welfare by rejecting four proposals to reform the Spanish Penal Code presented by four different political parties.

The Spanish Penal Code is amongst the most undeveloped legislations in terms of animal welfare protection. The only illicit in which cruelty towards animals is considered to initiate a judicial procedure is the article 632 CP, and only to define “cruelty towards animals made in public areas without authorization”. People who break this law can count on a low and ineffective fine, which doesn't prevent them to continue torturing animals.

It seems that the influence of the hunting and bullfighting industry is still too strong even though some of the proposals only referred to define cruelty to companion animals to be considered a crime. This means that animals in Spain will continue to suffer mutilation and torturing until death follows without there being a law to protect them. The tradition in several parts of Spain to hang Greyhounds and other dogs alive will continue unpunished, the boundless breeding and rejection after use of Galgos and other hunting dogs by the thousands each year will continue, the lucrative business of the dog fighting organizations will continue and domestic animals won't be protected from (domestic) violence.

Several animal protection organizations throughout Europe and the United States have been trying to convince the leading political party in Spain of the fact that Spain needs to have animal protection laws. 250.000 petition cards from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany have been presented to the government, with no results. Even a presentation of the Foundation Greyhounds in Distress Netherlands in the Euro Group for Animal Welfare in Strasbourg, didn't result in reforms, despite the fact that Spain now has the presidency of the European Parliament.

Spain will 1 day have to recognize the fact that animals are living creatures with the capacity to feel and suffer, but for the time being they remain utterly unprotected.

Mr. President, Mr. Director, Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all we would like to express our thanks to the Euro Group for Animal Welfare for enabling us to speak here today on behalf of the Greyhounds and Galgos in Ireland and Spain.

Greyhounds In Nood is a Dutch organization, which was created in 1999 to benefit the Greyhounds and Galgos in Spain when they retire from racing or hunting and are no longer wanted by the industry or the hunters. The Galgo is what we call the Spanish Greyhound, mostly used for hunting (photo of a Galgo). Our foundation is being run by volunteers and has just recently welcomed it's 1000th member/supporter.

For many years these Galgos and Greyhounds had no place to go after their careers, so they were simply killed in a most brutal way (2 horror photos). And unfortunately this situation – although on a less larger scale - still exists today in Spain.
Greyhounds in Nood has worked hard these past couple of years to rescue these dogs in Spain and to give them a chance to live their lives as loving pets in Holland We have rescued and placed about 350 Greyhounds and Galgos in family homes in Holland where they have become treasured by their owners (photo of an adopted dog). Nevertheless this is a sorry number if we take into account the fact that in Spain thousands and thousands of dogs are abandoned or killed yearly.
We became aware of the situation that exists in Spain regarding its hunting Galgos in 1999. It was appalling to read about these animals being hung in olive groves, impaled, burned alive, thrown into wells, just because hunting season was over and the culture allowed and encouraged it. Then we began to receive the pictures, gruesome and pitiful (more horror photos). We made contact with those in Spain who struggle to help these dogs survive, and for the past couple of years much of our efforts have concentrated on the Scooby Refuge in Medina del Campo, a former warehouse without electricity or water (photo of old refuge). We became associated with Fermin Perez, the man who oversees the refuge, and who documented the pictorial record of many Galgos and Greyhounds hanging in trees around that area of Spain. We have brought Mr. Perez to Holland to speak to the public here and tell the story of the Galgos and what we could do to help them. We have financially supported the Scooby Refuge and we made generous donations to be used to help build a new refuge in Medina del Campo, which recently opened (2 photos of the new refuge). Now, at least in Medina, there is a place for the hunters to drop off their unwanted Galgos so they will not hang them.
Still, the brutality goes on around Spain. While Spain may have its rules and regulations to protect animals, it appears they are neglected and not enforced. An additional problem is that the Galgo in Spain isn't an official breed and doesn't have to be registered so anyone can breed them in large numbers.

We have now decided to turn our attention to alerting the Spanish government to the fact we are aware of the suffering and we are also aware of the neglect by officials to prohibit the behavior. That's why we started , on an European level, an action, which resulted in about a quarter of a million protest cards to be delivered to the Spanish government in the near future.

There is one official remaining Greyhound Race Track in Spain. Meridiana in Barcelona, races the Greyhounds it buys in Ireland. (photo of Meridiana) At the moment the track owns about 700 to 750 Irish Greyhounds. The Irish breed about 20,000 to 25,000 Greyhounds a year. Only 1 out of 4 will end up on the Irish tracks and we wonder what happens to the dogs which do not make the grade. The poor quality slow Greyhounds are sold at public auction to countries like Spain. Some of these Greyhounds can be bought for as little as 50 Irish pounds.

Ireland has its own rules and they too have been ignored by the officials charged with enforcing them. Greyhounds bought at sales are tossed into inadequate transporters, without water or vaccinations and with hardly any space to lie down. Many of the dogs are muzzled. They then travel 6 hours to the ferry and a further 22 hours sea crossing, before starting the journey through France and over the Pyrenees and down to Spain. They arrive in Spain, where they are kept in horrendous conditions and housed in the cramped filthy and inadequate kennels of Santa Coloma.

We have been told that the Meridiana track:
- lacks veterinary supervision
- lacks a vaccination scheme
- lacks a worming scheme
- lacks rat treating planning (dogs compete with rats for what food is given them)
Moreover:
- the size of kennels are insufficient
- in some cases, there is more than one dog in a kennel
- on a good day a dog is let out of its kennel for one hour (in all)
- there is no water in kennels
- there is no quarantine area for Greyhounds recently arrived from Ireland
- the kennel facility does not dispose of adequate walking areas
- many of the Greyhounds race while injured
- there is no veterinary supervision at the racetrack to inspect those Greyhounds
- the dogs are raced too often
- Greyhounds are cramped together waiting far too long in the truck before a race
- there is no testing for drugs
- the Greyhounds' racing life is very short compared to that of those in other countries. This is due to lack of information and aptitudes of the trainers and
- the transport from Ireland lacks a guide to routine stops and necessary documentation for the importing of animals.

For the past few months many of us in Europe and even the United States have been able to form relationships that we hope can form an umbrella over the Greyhounds and Galgos, to at least rescue them when they are fortunate to escape the hunters that own them or the track that races them. Greyhound in Nood Netherlands works together with organizations in Belgium, England, Switzerland, Germany and the United States. All of us make frequent trips to Medina to take 30 or 40 dogs at a time back to our countries where homes await them. This makes room for more dogs to stay at the Scooby Refuge, where dogs arrive daily. Just recently Fermin Perez of the Scooby organization made a deal with the owner of the Meridiana track to take in retired dogs from the track. But the costs of housing, feeding and caring of these dogs comes from donors and foundations like ours.

We cannot continue year after year to bring Irish and Spanish dogs to our respective countries. We all have our own problems concerning Animal Welfare. And therefore we ask you to please help us help these dogs. We cannot do it alone. It does not have to be this way. It should not be this way.

First, the animal protection laws of Ireland and Spain need to be identified, published and enforced.

Second, in order for enforcement to take place the Galgos in Spain need to be recognized as an official breed and be registered.

Third, the Council Directives on the Protection of Animals during Transport should apply to all live animals for transport. At the present the Directives do not require a Journey Plan to be submitted on behalf of Greyhounds being transported from Ireland to Spain. This means that the dogs do not have to be rested after the long sea voyage to France. It would appear that these Directives apply mainly to domestic solipeds and domestic animals of the bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine species. The Greyhounds urgently need the protection of all the regulations that apply to other live animals for transport within the EU member States.

Fourth, we feel that an immediate investigation of the Meridiana race track – and its kennel facilities at Santa Coloma – are in order.

We thank you for your attention.