In new leash of life
Gentle Spanish Podenco canine inspires fundraiser
Animal lovers can enjoy some fun at a charity event this weekend - thanks to a Gartocharn dog lover who adopted an abused rare breed all the way from Spain.
Sally MacDonell has given Podenco Alice a new lease of life after rescuing her from life on the streets of the Spanish island of Lanzarote.
And her four- legged friend has inspired her to raise both awareness of the plight of Podencos and funds for a number of animal charities at the fun day which is taking place tomorrow (Saturday) at Gartocharn Millennium Hall, near Drymen.
The beneficiaries will be the SSPCA in Milton, Sara Protectora in Lanzarote and Associacion De Animales in Spain.
Sally said: “Around November last year, I went online to have a look at animal rescue charities as I decided I wanted another dog.
“I have got a little tan and white mongrel who is 15 years old.
“I’ve also got an enormous labradoodle and I don’t know how he will react to being the only dog in the house when she dies.
“I looked at all the rescue centres online looking for a tan and white dog but I couldn’t find one until I found these Podencos.
“I knew I wanted one as soon as I read all the dreadful things that happen to them.
“Thousands of them are killed every year.”
The Podenco is one of the oldest breeds of Spanish hound and one of the most abused.
Their only hope of forever homes is outside of Spain.
The dogs’ lives are typically spent on a short chain with no shelter from scorching heat or freezing cold temperatures or in dark sheds, sometimes packed so tightly with other dogs that they cannot even lie down.
Since there is a belief among hunters that dogs hunt better when they are hungry, the Podenco is usually starved or fed and watered just enough to keep them alive.
After hunting season ends, they are sometimes hung or poisoned.
But, more often, they are driven to a remote location and abandoned, sometimes being beaten, having legs broken or, in one known case, having their eyes gouged out so they cannot find their way home.
There are a number of Spanish charities which shelter and rehome Podencos, and Sally said there are a number of kind-hearted citizens who even help pay airfare costs to rescue the animals.
Sally added: “Alice was a hunting dog before being abandoned.
“She had been living rough on the streets for over a year and was then in a shelter for a year and a half.
“She was flown from Lanzarote to Manchester and then went into foster care in Newark.
“It has been a ghastly experience for her.
“I’ve had her for a few months now and I really couldn’t have asked for a nicer dog.
“She is settling in really well.
“She was, and still is, very apprehensive around strangers and I’ve been taking her to the Dug Cafe at Loch Lomond Shores to increase her confidence around people.”
Sally hopes people will rally to enjoy tomorrow’s fun day and support the fund-raising cause.
She said: “There will be lots happening, including a huge jumble sale, car wash, plant and 23 craft stalls and live music.
“We will also have a stall with information on the plight of Podencos and will be handing out leaflets.
“Alice will also be coming along.
“We will even have a piper and children’s games.
“While dogs are not allowed in the hall itself, a lot of people are already hoping to bring theirs along as there will be plenty going on outside as well as in the hall.”
Alice was a hunting dog before being abandoned. She had been living rough on the streets for over a year and was then in a shelter for a year and a half