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Articles About puppies Important Facts About Spanish Greyhounds
Articles About puppies Important Facts About Spanish Greyhounds | Important Facts About Spanish Greyhounds |
| Written by Fabio Garcia | ||||||||
| Saturday, 23 April 2011 | ||||||||
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Greyhounds are used extensively by hunters during the hunting season in Spain. Generally known as Galgos in the regional language these dogs are exceptionally skilled and possess a natural instinct to work as hunting dogs. However there is another element to the story of greyhounds in Spain which has attracted international attention, specifically from animal rights groups.
Greyhounds are used extensively by hunters during the hunting season in Spain. Generally known as Galgos in the regional language these dogs are exceptionally skilled and possess a natural instinct to work as hunting dogs. However there is another element to the story of greyhounds in Spain which has attracted international attention, specifically from animal rights groups. It has been a conventional practice of hunters in Spain to slaughter their hunting dogs after the season is over. The hunting season ends in January and the large majority of hunters are not interested in keeping their dogs as pets until the next season. Hence they put an end to their dogs' lives. There are places in the countryside of Spain where you can find numerous carcasses after the end of hunting season. The origins of this practice are not known. It is known that nobles from the past would display tortured and hanged greyhounds to the public in order to deter the peasants that might be thinking of revolting. Many of these dogs are actually tortured rather than hanged to die instantly. The hunters deliberately tie the noose in such a manner that the dogs can hold themselves up on their hind legs for a couple of days. Once they begin to weaken from hunger and thirst they lose the power to hold themselves up and fall into the noose thereby suffocating to death. Even though this practice has been taking place since many centuries it is only recently that it has been brought into the limelight. As it is the Spaniards are condemned for the maltreatment of bulls in the traditional sport of bullfighting but this barbaric act appears to rival or exceed that gruesome tradition in cruelty as well. According to some people, the act of slaughtering the greyhounds after using them is quite inhumane. In contrast, the act of killing the dogs in a slow process is what causes concern to many other people. Every year, the number of greyhounds killed in this way is estimated to be more than 10,000. Hanging is just one of the methods used to kill greyhounds in Spain because you can find some hunters throwing the dogs into abandoned wells or leaving them to loiter in the woods and die because of hunger. You can also find burned dog carcasses littering the countryside. There are more than 30 million people in Spain that engage in agricultural activities and hunting is a primary mode of acquiring food sources for them. The majority of them use greyhounds during the hunting season. Nevertheless the farmers argue that they do not possess the facilities to provide adequate lodging and food for the greyhounds for the whole year and that is why they are killed following the hunting season. The real question then relates to the way they are killed and not necessarily the reason for which they are killed. About the Author: Spanish mastiffs are surprisingly unknown outside their native country. Follow the hyperlink for further information about Spanish animals. Views: 601
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