Scooby Medina shelters hundreds of Spanish greyhounds and needs your help

Happy Duke Grega, living in Ohio

Diane Ward of Leesburg, VA, recently came back from Scooby. In the Medina del Campo region of Spain, Scooby is the largest Spanish animal shelter. It began in 1987 as a refuge for stray cats and dogs. Today, this private shelter houses 400 to 600 animals, including many Spanish greyhounds called Galgos.

Ward says, “Galgos look a lot like our American greyhounds, but they are used primarily for hunting, not racing. Unlike American greys, which are sprinters that run for only 30 to 40 seconds at a time, Galgos can run for what seems like forever.”

In the US, tens of thousands of greyhounds are retired from racing every year. Some are lucky enough to be adopted to loving homes, but an estimated 15,000 to 30,000 are euthanized, according to NowPublic.

As bad as that sounds, Ward explains that it is actually more humane than what happens to thousands of Galgos at the end of every hunting season in Spain. That’s why Scooby is so dedicated to sheltering them. To find out more about the plight of the Galgos, visit this website. But be aware that the story and pictures can be difficult to read and see.

Today, Scooby provides safe haven for Galgos, as well as for other dogs, cats, donkeys, animals saved from factory farming, and many other rescues. Scooby does its work through donations and volunteer help.

Ward has been at Scooby twice. She went first in Oct. 2007 to work as a volunteer at the shelter. While there, she assisted an American veterinarian who was also volunteering. On that trip, she brought back a Galgo named Duke for her family. Duke is a black brindle with pumpkin-colored eyes.

Shown below is the Scooby compound in Spain.

Ward returned to Scooby in Sept. 2009 with a group of five volunteers from around the US. While there, they cleaned shelter buildings and paddocks, the grassy areas that house many dogs. The volunteers also spent many hours socializing with the dogs.

Today, Ward is Scooby’s North American representative for virtual adoption and coordination of volunteers. What is virtual adoption? Ward explains, “It’s a way for people around the world to help in the care of one or more Scooby animals by making a small donation for the animal’s care.” For information on virtual adoption, contact Diane Ward.

Ward and her group brought back a Galgo named Lucho for Chris Mosey of Akron on this most recent trip. Lucho is a three-legged dog, often called a tripod dog. He is adjusting well to his new home in Akron, with Mosey, her family, Perico (a Galgo that Mosey brought back from her own visit to Scooby in 2008), and a pitbull named Junebug. In the past, the Moseys have adopted three American greyhounds, but they are all gone now.

Although Mosey didn’t intend to bring back a Galgo in 2008, she couldn’t resist Perico, because he was extremely emaciated and not thriving at Scooby. Since he was weak, other dogs prevented him from eating. When he came home to the US, he weighed just 48 pounds. After a year of family love and care, he’s now at 65 pounds.

Another Galgo that lives in Ohio is named Duke. Duke lives with the Grega family in Berea. Debbie Grega went to Spain in Oct. 2008. She brought home a Galgo then, but that one died here in surgery. Duke came home to the Gregas with some US volunteers who went there in Mar. 2009. He’ll be a year old this month. The Gregas also have an American greyhound named Jitters and Mugsy, a sharpei.