World Galgo Day 2024: When Is It and How Is It Celebrated

The Galgo, also known as the Spanish Greyhound, is an ancient breed of hunting dog, and many people, particularly in Spain, still use them for that purpose.

While that may sound innocent, many Galgos end up killed or starved to death after they are no longer useful for hunting. That’s why World Galgo Day was developed.

Taking place on February 1 every year, the day celebrates Galgos and helps raise awareness about the troubles that many of these dogs go through.

The History Behind the World Galgo Day

Around 60,000 Galgos are killed each year in Spain after the hunting season¹. Unfortunately, their deaths are not peaceful, with many of these dogs being poisoned, drowned, or hanged.

Hunting traditions that involve animal cruelty toward Galgos have been occurring in Spain for a long time. Therefore, animal welfare organizations all over the world want to help these poor animals and spread awareness about their sufferings, which is how World Galgo Day was created.

World Galgo Day is celebrated on February 1, and it carries an important message for people across the globe.

What Happens to Galgos in Spain Due to Hunting?

To truly understand the importance of World Galgo Day, you need to learn about the struggles that Galgos go through every year in Spain.

It starts from the moment that a Galgo is capable of hunting, as many of these dogs have to undergo tough training and mainly live in terrible conditions.

During the hunting season, which typically lasts from October to January, these dogs spend their time in cold, dark sheds, confined and neglected. Most of the hunters practice harsh training techniques, including towing the animal from a vehicle at high speed.

Once the hunting season is over, most hunters dispose of Galgos in cruel ways, such as hanging them on trees, poisoning them, drowning them, or leaving them to starve. Some hunters even intentionally breed too many of these dogs, which leads to starvation and death for most of the puppies.

Why Is World Galgo Day Important?

Each year, Galgos go through brutal experiences, and many of them don’t live beyond the hunting season. This is why it’s important to spread awareness about how to help these dogs.

The intent of World Galgo Day is to hopefully change Spain’s laws and forbid hunting with Galgos. Also, this day can help people realize just how much danger Galgos are in, which may lead to more people getting involved in saving and rehoming them.

How Do People Celebrate World Galgo Day?

There’s no particular celebration of World Galgo Day; everyone does it in their own way. You can celebrate simply by sharing a post and using a hashtag to promote this day and spread awareness, or you can go all the way and adopt a Galgo yourself.

It all comes down to your capabilities at the moment, but even a small contribution can make a huge impact!

What Can You Do to Help Galgos?

There are various ways that you can contribute to World Galgo Day and help these dogs. Here are a few of the things that you can do.

Adopt/Foster

One way to make your contribution to this day is to adopt or foster a Galgo. There are incredible organizations that can help you adopt a Galgo from Spain and therefore, save their life.

If you can travel to Spain, you could even become a Galgo escort and help Galgos safely get to other countries to meet their new families.

Donate

You can also help Galgos by donating to one of the organizations that help save, relocate, and rehome Galgos in Spain. Supporting these organizations monetarily helps Galgos in many different ways, which is great for people who want to help but are unable to adopt or volunteer.

Use Social Media

Another excellent way to help Galgos and educate people about them is to use social media. You can share photos, download posters, or use one of the World Galgo Day hashtags, including:

You can also use the Día del Galgo website to share information about all the troubles that Galgos go through.

Spread Awareness

You can contribute to World Galgo Day by spreading awareness about these animals to your friends, family, and neighbors. Try to educate children and other adults in your environment about these dogs and teach them how to help.

In Conclusion

Celebrating World Galgo Day every February 1 is essential for helping these poor dogs and stopping the terrifying hunting traditions occurring in Spain. You can make your contribution to this day by spreading awareness in your environment and on social media, adopting a Galgo, or donating to one of the organizations that helps Galgos.

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Featured Image Credit: encierro, Shutterstock