The Tragic Lives of Galgo Español

Galgos, the ancient breed of hunting dog and once a favourite among Spanish nobles, are living a horrible fate for generations now. One of the most abused dog breeds on the planet, more than ten thousand of the breed are killed each year. Shoma Abhyankar shares her experience.

-  Shoma Abhyankar

The glass and concrete Edificio Carrión at the corner of Madrid's Gran Vía, towers over the street square, blocking the blazing sun to cast a reassuring shade on scores of Galgo Espanol, the Spanish greyhounds, who sit waiting for their future homes.

I roam petting one of the dogs at the square, when the volunteer rescuer, a young Spanish girl informs me 'This is Duke, just two years old. He was abandoned as the hunting season ended'. I had heard some horror tales about the fate of these hunting dogs hence the presence of pink jackets of volunteers gives me hope.

However, the unsuspecting canines have no clue that they have escaped from a very gory and tragic end.