About the Galgo

We work with many shelters in Spain who carry out the primary rescue work and the homing groups and individuals in Europe who, in sympathy with our work, promote adoption in their own countries.

Help us support the rescue and rehoming of galgos and greyhounds in need. Find out more about the dogs available for rehoming, visit our shop, donate directly and see how our education programme is working to improve the lives of galgos in Spain.

Galgos (breed name galgo español) are Spanish bred greyhounds used widely by hunters in the rural areas of Spain, for coursing the hare with betting but the season is only 4 months after which time many are abandoned or brutally killed.

Some have not been handled kindly, have suffered victimisation in overcrowded shelters in Spain, making them wary of other dogs, and some need gentle socialisation and a lot of reassurance that they are never going to be hungry or hurt again. They were rescued in the first place by volunteers who themselves often suffer the hostility of their own countrymen for showing such concern and care. As the galgos are often abandoned in the countryside of Spain we know little of their background.

The galgos are largely beyond the reach of other UK rescue groups who already have their hands full. We home most of our rescues in mainland Europe but a small percentage we bring to the UK to help share the load. All our dogs are wormed, vaccinated and sterilised/castrated and microchipped before adoption.

Galgos are sighthounds and have been taught to hunt the hare. Some galgos take time to lose that instinct and care must be taken when introducing them to cats and small animals. We always recommend that a muzzle be used in the early days as you start to introduce your new dog to other animals. We have successfully homed many galgos to families with cats and even some with house rabbits!

Galgos tend to be smaller than the English and Irish greyhounds. They are mostly smooth coated, leaner than the racing greyhounds and have a very long tail. They are quiet, gentle dogs, often described as couch potatoes and contrary to popular belief they do not need a lot of exercise, they like their walks and very much like a routine but I think most owners would agree that what they like the best is a nice warm soft bed.

Your donations help us help the thousands of abandoned galgos in Spain. Our international work, rescuing, treating, and finding homes for galgos is very expensive and all financial assistance is very welcome and vital to help GIN continue its work https://greyhoundsinneed.co.uk/helpus/donate/

Greyhounds in Need CIO – Online Shop – where we hope you will find something interesting.

We have a wide variety of merchandise to choose from for you and your four-legged friend. We add new items throughout the year and sometimes have special items which will only be available while stocks last, so please keep checking back. Don’t forget, buying goods from these pages generates additional and much-needed funds for our work in rescuing greyhounds.

NEW! You can now ‘Shop for the shelters’ Just let us know during the checkout process which items from your shopping cart you’d like us to send in our next delivery to Spain. Our ‘care’ packages for the galgos are always well received https://greyhoundsinneed.co.uk/shop/

Phone rings

"Hello Animal Rescue HQ, can I help"

"Is that the animal rescue centre"

"Yes, Animal Rescue HQ, how can I help" "I get your email newsletters, can you send me one"

"Sorry, don't understand"

"I get the email newsletters you send, can you send me one"

"But if you get the email ones, why do you need us to send you one"

"Oh, you don't send them then"

"Yes we do, but I'm not sure why you want us to send you one"

"I can't read it, my eyesights not good so I thought you could send me one"

"Could you not print it and read with whatever aids you use to read"

"Oh, scan it in you mean"

"No just print it and use a magnifying glass or even software that allows you to magnify it on the screen"

"Oh yes I can do that, do you sell dogs"

"We rehome them, yes"