Spain-Wide Protests This Weekend Against Mistreatment Of Hunting Dogs
Protesters took to the streets in a rainy Madrid this weekend as well as 45 other Spanish cities to protest against the mistreatment of hunting dogs in Spain.
The protests were joined with demonstrations in 35 cities in Europe including the UK to draw attention to their mistreatment, primarily those breeds popular on hunting estates, where up to 100,000 dogs – primarily Galgos and Podencos — are abandoned or killed each year.
The organisers, NAC planned the protests to mark the end of the Spanish hunting season.
A NAC spokesperson in Madrid said their aim was to “abolish hunting in all its forms in Spain” to ensure that animals are sparred suffering.
They also noted that only 2% of the Spanish population hunts, but that hunting estates occupy some 85% of Spain´s total land; the majority of which are enclosed with no access or rights of way for the public.
Although the Spanish Government passed wide reaching animal welfare legislation in 2023, recognising pets as “sentient beings” with new legal protections, as well as mandatory microchipping, civil liability insurance for dogs, breeding restrictions, and penalties of up to €200,000 for animal abuse; this did not include hunting dogs which were classed as ” working tools” and exempt.
According to NAC the end of the season” marks the time when dogs deemed unfit for hunting are discarded. Many of these dogs are treated with extreme cruelty during their lifetime, and the methods used to kill unwanted dogs are especially brutal, often designed to extend their suffering”.
Teresa Rodriguez, who organises NAC’s international protests said: “Every February, tens of thousands of dogs are treated as disposable. Our message is simple: these dogs are not ‘tools’, they are living beings who deserve protection under the law. By mobilising internationally, we’re urging visitors to Spain to speak out against these cruel practices and create diplomatic pressure on the Spanish administration.”
She added: “Awareness is growing among Spanish citizens, but many politicians still put tradition and business interests ahead of animal welfare. With international support, including the peaceful protests in the UK and across Europe, we will keep pushing until there is real, enforceable protection for these dogs.”
The Hope For Podencos Association said the breed are known as ‘Invisible Dogs’ or ‘The Great Forgotten’ and are the most abused dog in Spain. They are “bred to hunt and kept, usually chained, in squalid conditions – these ‘working dogs’ are not protected by Spanish law”.
A UK based Free Spanish Hounds, was formed in 2023 to raise awareness, bring meaningful legal protection for the animals used in the industry and stand in solidarity with the Spanish advocacy group.
Adva Shimshy, one of the founders of Free Spanish Hounds, said: “Now in their third year, our peaceful protests are expanding as we continue raising awareness of the suffering of Spanish hunting dogs which continues in plain sight. We will stand with campaigners in Spain for as long as it takes until Galgos and Podencos are finally given the legal protection they deserve and desperately need.”
Madrid Photo Credit: Alice Ellis
