Time to reflect a little on the last transport rescue trip that Jennifer Janiak-Ross and I took to Spain May 2-16 2017.
The goal of coordinating and bringing back a total 12 dogs in one day was accomplished! It is always an exhilarating experience that is hard to put words to. It is a team effort which includes the Spanish rescue groups along with GPS and Grateful Greyhounds in the US working out all the details. My humblest admiration goes out to the Spanish teams as they not only battle the day to day abandonment of these wonderful hounds as well as working so hard with us to get them to forever homes here in the US. This time we had three vans driving towards Madrid with all the dogs and converging at the hotel the night before. Amazingly it went without a hitch.
Each dog we bring has a story to tell. Each dog we bring is the hope for the others left behind. It is not easy to be in Spain and see so many that need help. But for all the years I have been helping the Spanish hounds, I remind myself daily that it is about one life at a time. One life that is lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, to be rescued to be helped and to finally have the chance of a forever family. That is why we do this, why we work so hard for months and months ahead of time to coordinate the adoptions, to plan the trip, to arrange the transportation, and to finally visit the shelters and to help the special cases along the way and to bring some hope to the people on the ground that there are others people in the US that care about their dogs.
I cant thank everyone enough who was part of this rescue mission..these people are my heroes. These are the groups we met with this time around: In Sevilla, Beatriz Sanchez Elvira Ribas of Asociacion Argos, Encarni Tortosa and Teresa Blanquero of DdeVida, Javier Jurado and Angelica RC of Casa de Postas, Miguel and Vicky of El Galgo Gris, and Mar Marquez Lopez, and in the Malaga area, Vera Thoranaar of Galgos en Familia, Nuria Martin Barcos of La Guarida, Maku Gonzalez of Podencos y Mas and Anna Buttenhoff of Vals Podenco Rescate Andaluz and many other people working together with them.
A special thanks to air patron Ellen Ganopoulousand Linda Schmitt for their part in this rescue operation!
Every year I come away impressed with the level of care and passion these rescue friends show these needy hounds. The appreciation for our help also is overwhelming. They always make us feel so welcomed and it is really a joy and fun to be with these wonderful people! And we really enjoy the fellowship over food and good times which includes endless stories both sad and joyful of rescued hounds! We had an incredible trip and we come back charged up to keep fighting for and with the small Spanish rescue groups that need us so much.
Soon I will be posting some special doggies we want to help this year, to hopefully find families. We left with 12 and have scores waiting for our help…we will help one at a time..
Telma Shaw
Galgo Podenco Support
