I traveled to Spain in search of the origin of the Galgo.

Galgos are used as a huntingtool by farmers in Spain, they usually live in barnes in numbers in excess of 10 dogs. Most never see the light of day. The huntingseason is from september until january.
Due to recent publications about hanging of Galgos more and more of these dogs are brought to shelters. the Scooby shelter alone had some 500 dogs in it's facility on march 2002.
Some Galgos end up on the streets and become strays, other Galgos however die a horrible death, torture, burning, empalement, lynching and being buried alive is a common means of disposal for these beautiful creatures. Some are even thrown into a steep dry water-resevoir.These practices have their roots in the tradition of the spanish nobility. After the huntingseason was over, rich landowners killed their Greyhounds and Galgos with horrendous methods to prove their status to their subjects. Still these practices go on in modern days, this time by 'ordinary' Galgo and Greyhound owners. The Spanish governement does not punish animal abusers. Even when certain regions have rules against animal cruelty, the Guardia Civil does not enforce these rules.