URGENT: Tortured Spanish Greyhounds Need Your Voice

Spanish greyhounds, or galgos—a breed of dog native to Spain—are some of the most abused animals on the planet. Known for their stamina, galgos have been exploited for centuries, and Spain is reportedly the only country in Europe that still allows galgos to be used in hunting.

Every year, PETA is inundated with complaints about galgos in Spain who are suffering in squalid and inhumane breeding facilities. These animals are frequently kept chained in derelict sheds and even caves in freezing temperatures. They are also reportedly starved and beaten but still expected to hunt upon command. The hunting season runs from approximately October through February, and when the hunting season concludes, many galgos deemed worthless or too costly to maintain are executed in a variety of inhumane ways, including being hanged from trees with ropes or wires. This killing method is so common, in fact, that it has earned the nickname "playing the piano"—in reference to the doomed animals' frantic attempts to stay alive, as they are deliberately hanged with their back feet barely touching the ground (in order to maximize suffering). It can take minutes and even hours for the suffering dogs to succumb to this torture.

Reportedly, galgos who are not hanged are often drowned in wells, injected with bleach or gasoline, shot, burned to death, or dumped on the streets after their legs are deliberately broken so that they cannot follow the cowardly hunters home. Graphic (be forewarned) photos provided to PETA appear to corroborate these extremely disturbing reports. A lucky few are rescued by kindhearted people who have formed organizations dedicated to caring for and rehabilitating these animals. For more information about how to help galgos in Spain, please visit Refugio "Kimba" at www.refugiokimba.org and the Galgo Rescue International Network at www.galgorescue.org.

Please ask Spanish officials to support an immediate ban on hunting with galgos and to implement laws that would afford these animals increased protections. Let Spanish officials know that you will not spend tourist dollars in their country as long as these abuses are allowed to continue.