Lynda was the Galgos Del Sol behaviour advisor and provided invaluable help to the shelter staff to help the more fearful dogs in their care.
I attended the course and with Lynda’s guidance I began to work with some of the very fearful dogs at the centre, this work was immensely satisfying, and I fell in love with the dogs I met. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to be able to go to Galgos Del Sol whenever I can get over to Spain and spend time working at this amazing rescue.
Galgos Del Sol is a charity registered in Spain, the UK and the USA, it was formed by Tina Solera who moved to Spain from the UK in 2007. Following an encounter with a galgo on the streets, she decided to devote herself to their rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming.
Galgos Del Sol was formed and the rescue centre was created; they have rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed thousands of dogs.
The galgo is an ancient breed of sighthound. They are similar to a greyhound but are leaner in stature. Galgos have been used traditionally by the Spanish for hare coursing and hunting and unfortunately when the hunting season comes to a close many are abandoned or killed as they are no longer of use. Galgos del Sol rescue these dogs who are living on the streets bring them to the centre and rehabilitate and rehome them.
Today the centre houses over 200 dogs and is funded entirely by donations.
The charity not only rescues these beautiful dogs but carries out an education program in Spanish schools to educate and change the views of Spanish children in respect of galgos and teach them the importance of kindness to animals. The hope is that future generations will understand more about the dogs and change the way they are viewed in society.
On a personal level, working at Galgos Del Sol has developed my skills and understanding of fearful and anxious dogs, and has provided me with techniques that I carry over to my work as an expert assessor of dogs that are fearful here in the UK. Work in rescue is incredibly difficult, both physically and emotionally, I have the utmost respect for people who work in rescue full time.
I continue to learn every time I go to Galgos Del Sol, it is food for the soul and hope to return soon very soon.
Above are some of the dogs I spent time with on my recent visit.
Have a look at the Galgos Del Sol website https://galgosdelsol.org to read more about the work they do and follow them on Facebook for regular updates.