– Dog owners drive far to get rid of the hunting dog, Nils Erik Palm Fauske tells news. He says that they bring in dogs with broken bones because some dog owners break the animals’ front legs. – Then the dog cannot follow them when they drive away. Thus, the dogs are locked in that place. Either they starve to death or someone will find them. When someone finds them, we get them in, says Palm Fauske. Two days a week he works as a volunteer at a reception center for abandoned animals near Torrevieja on the sunny coast of Spain. “Unfortunately, it is a bit too common for us to bring in hunting dogs with broken bones,” he says. In the weeks after the traditional hunting season ends, they see an increase in Spanish hunting dogs at the reception. Some are handed in by the owners, others are found randomly. – The “lifetime” of these hunting dogs is no more than two or three years. Then they are replaced in favor of new, younger and faster dogs, says Palm Fauske. Many of them are abandoned or killed. – The dogs are very often in a bad condition when they come in to us. They bear the mark of mistreatment and neglect. They are very often sick, says Nils Erik Palm Fauske Photo: Privat Jaktlobby protects the sport of hunting The new animal welfare law in Spain was passed in March and will come into force in the autumn. That means more responsibility for pet owners. Among other things, future dog owners must take courses in dog handling. Breeding will be more regulated and there will be a ban on the use of spike collars. It will also no longer be allowed to sell pets in shops. But the new law does not apply to hunting dogs or animals used in bullfighting. – You must fight what is not good, but not by eradicating our sport, says Luis Angel Vegas to the Reuters news agency. He heads the Spanish Association for Galgos. A strong hunting lobby in Spain had the law changed for the traditional hunting dogs at the last minute. – I think no one will ban cars to prevent traffic accidents, he adds. Two Spanish hunting dogs run after a hare Reuters Sponsored by the king In Spain, hunting and running dogs are big business and have a turnover of around 50 billion Norwegian kroner a year. For centuries, the traditional hunting dogs, Spanish galgo, also known as greyhound, and the podenco breed, have been used for hare hunting races in Spain. The dogs have a great hunting instinct and can run 60-70 kilometers per hour. Current events are often broadcast live on TV. The dogs get minimal food. Enough for them to run fast, but not enough for them to be hungry and want to grab their prey. Here, two dogs have been kept in a shed. The owners often give the animals minimal food. But enough for them to have the strength to hunt. Photo: private The most rewarding race takes place in January and the prize is sponsored by the King of Spain. Thrown in wells In 2021, over 167,000 dogs were taken in at Spanish municipal shelters, which are often run by voluntary organisations. A large proportion of the dogs came in after the hunting season, according to a study by the Animal Welfare Organization Foundation Affinity. At the reception that Nils Erik Palm Fauske works at in Spain, it is also common to bring in dogs with open wounds after the owner has cut out the ID tag. Then the dog can no longer be linked to the owner. – We also have cases of collars that have been on the dog for such a long time, without being adjusted, that it has grown firmly around the neck. They have to be operated on again, says Fauske. This dog received help from a veterinarian, after being mistreated or abandoned, in Utrera, near Seville, Spain December 1, 2022 Photo: NACHO DOCE / Reuters Norwegian protests Animal welfare organizations have long sounded the alarm about how some owners get rid of dogs that do not are fast enough. – After the hunting season, these dogs are often tortured. They can be hanged, shot, or simply left to die. It has almost become a kind of tradition to torture these dogs, says veterinarian and director Noah for animal rights Siri Martinsen. She says it is difficult to understand such attitudes. – For example, dogs that you are not satisfied with in the hunt are punished and tortured. Those you are happy with are given a quicker death. It is a rather twisted and sick way of behaving towards animals in the whole Spanish hunting tradition, says Martinsen. – The new law is also not helpful for other animals that suffer in agriculture and hunting in general, says veterinarian and head of NOAH For animal rights. Photo: Bente Isefjær / NOAH Like bullfighting, this is a highly contested sport. There have been many protests and how the animals are treated. There is also commitment in Norway. – We have a signature campaign and so far we have over 10,000 signatures, says Martinsen. These are forwarded to the Spanish Embassy. Greyhounds chase a hare during a hare-course competition at the Las Tramadas field in Mascaraque, central Spain, 20 December 2022 Photo: SUSANA VERA / Reuters Martinsen also emphasizes that there is a big development in Spain when it comes to animal welfare. – There is a strong animal protection movement in Spain, and actually hunting dogs should also be protected by this new law. It was a political maneuver at the last minute which led to these animals, who needed the law the most, being exempted from it, she says. Elections in Spain The Royal Spanish Hunting Association represents more than 333,000 hunters – and has a powerful lobby. The Socialist Party, which is the largest party in the Spanish government coalition, changed its mind just before the new animal welfare law was to be adopted. Although the protection of animals has been one of the left’s main issues, the fear of losing votes became too great. After a long and heated debate, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchéz’s party agreed to the exception that the animal welfare law does not apply to those who own galgos or other animals used in traditional activities in the countryside. – To make an exception for hunting dogs is to let those who mistreat the dogs go unpunished, said Social Affairs Minister Ione Belarra when the law was passed. She added that they had done the best they could with the power they have in government cooperation. Nils Erik Palm Fauske says he seems to see a slight change in people’s attitudes. There is a lot of attention around this case in social media now, he says. – We need to get proper legal protection in place for hunting dogs. It seems that the law is making a difference, but it will take time for it to improve. It hasn’t been done for a month or three. It probably takes a year or ten, he concludes. After treatment, Kiwi is now in better shape. The broken bone is soon healed. Photo: private
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New animal welfare law in Spain – does not apply to hunting dogs – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
