Saturday was finally the day! The "Galgo in Not - Austria e.V." spring festival took place. It was Murphy's and my "first time", ;) but certainly not our last...
Martina had already told me quite a bit about it, but the excitement from the Galgos Atlas and Tiago spoke volumes...
Impressive and reserved, exciting and relaxed, fun and thought-provoking all at once — as contradictory as that sounds, this gathering is just as easy to describe.
Impressive is the fact that...
between 60 and 70 dogs roamed the grounds of ADTC in Biedermannsdorf over the course of the afternoon, with no noteworthy disputes. And this despite the great variety of breeds.
Of course, Galgos make up the majority of the guests, but 4 other Frenchies, numerous Podencos, Barzois, Greyhounds and Whippets, as well as a Lhasa Apso, Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Border Collies can also be spotted alongside a few mixed breeds.
Reserved is...
a character trait of many Galgos, especially those who have just been rescued from Spain. Most of them have had bad experiences and their trust in humans has been severely damaged.
On this day you can see how these animals blossom when they are shown love, security and a sense of safety. And how much joy for life they have when they're allowed to do what they love most — running.
Exciting is...
watching these sighthounds "play". By "playing" I mean "catch me if you can!" or "who's faster?", because it mostly involves sprinting. And Spanish greyhounds know how to do that. They can reach up to 60 km/h!!!
And Tiago is even quite the endurance runner. He always comes by to say "hello," but the "pony" hardly misses a single game of chase ;) Atlas unfortunately has a sore leg that day, but is so deeply relaxed that he stays lying on his blanket, watching us and soaking up cuddles from the other visitors.
Relaxing is the fact that...
Galgos make an intimidating impression on very few other dogs. This is purely my subjective perception, but these dogs radiate such grace that it just doesn't feel right to kick up a fuss about it.
After all the games of chase, there's always a relaxed rest break in between to gather strength for the next round. And so we spend both restful and active sunny hours together.
Funny is...
watching the Podencos play. They just have such amusing moves that Murphy and I have a great time watching them.
But also funny are some of the stories the two-legged folk share about their furry companions. Murphy can barely contain his wriggling with fondness for Mausbär. Tiago rolls his eyes.
What gives me pause for thought is...
the fact that these wonderful creatures are sadly treated like rubbish in Spain after the hunting season. People try to get rid of them in sometimes cruel ways — if a dog is lucky, the hunter brings it to a shelter or ties it up outside their door.
Of course, Galgos are bred to hunt hares. And there are certainly few of them who simply go for walks off-lead, but these Spanish greyhounds are such sensitive creatures that it's simply incomprehensible how people can throw them away like rubbish after they've done their job.
Galgo in Not Austria - e.V.
The association Galgo in Not Austria - e.V. organises a gathering twice a year in Biedermannsdorf at the grounds of ADTC (generously made available for the occasion). Lydia and Angela (chairwoman and deputy) handle the organisation, supported by many willing helping hands.
The gathering is a complete success. The culinary cravings are well satisfied, with salads, spreads and bread, Danish pastries, sweet baked treats and drinks in a wonderful variety. There is truly nothing left to be desired.
If the three foster Galgos — Marie, Noel and Zora — could soon celebrate finding their forever spots on a sofa for life, that would simply be perfect!
