World Galgo Day, observed each year on February 1, exists because the treatment of galgos in Spain remains a serious animal-welfare failure. These dogs—Spain’s native greyhounds—are bred for hunting, and when they are no longer useful, many are discarded. Abandonment, neglect, and abuse at the end of the hunting season are not rare exceptions; they are a systemic problem.

This is not a question of misunderstanding the galgo’s nature. Galgos are calm, affectionate, and highly adaptable to home life. Thousands of families—both in Spain and abroad—can attest to this. The issue is not the dog. The issue is a legal and cultural framework that has failed to protect them.

World Galgo Day is about accountability. It exists to make visible what often happens out of sight, and to support the rescue organizations that step in when the system does not. Shelters and foster networks across Spain are overwhelmed every year, forced to deal with the consequences of weak enforcement and inadequate laws.