By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.
SITEMAP
Copyright © 2024 CGTN. 京ICP备20000184号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
SITEMAP
Copyright © 2024 CGTN. 京ICP备20000184号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
Saud Khalil Zafar Malik, seven, of the Joan Maragall school, acts as a veterinarian as he listens to the heart of a greyhound during a visit to SOS Galgos. /Nacho Doce/Reuters
Lanky greyhounds placidly let a bunch of beaming children pet them in the SOS Galgos shelter in the suburbs of Barcelona, where the rescued dogs are helping kids learn empathy for animals.
Known as 'galgos' in Spanish, greyhounds are used to track or catch game from rabbits to deer but thousands of them are discarded in Spain every year when injured or just no longer in their prime.
Shelters like SOS Galgos seek to find homes for the dogs.
READ MORE
Crops fail, olive trees dry up, grapevines die out as Spain runs dry
E-waste far outstripping its recycling, warns report
Who is Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto?
Haron Boghlouli, seven, and worker Vanesa Gonzalez, 43, during a visit to SOS Galgos. /Nacho Doce/Reuters
While awaiting adoption, the greyhounds - known for their calm and gentle behavior around children - bring joy to boys and girls who come on field trips to learn to love and respect animals. Such "empathy classes" are part of the school curriculum in Spain under a law adopted in 2020.
"Children who have not had any contact with the animal world, and can even arrive with fear, leave here excited and happy that they have touched a dog... saying 'I'm going to adopt, I'm not going to buy'," said Sara Cadenas, who is in charge of the workshops.
"They learn here and then they tell their parents, kids in the playground on a weekend, which is particularly gratifying," she added.
Students of the Joan Maragall school interact with a greyhound during a visit to the SOS Galgos shelter. /Nacho Doce/Reuters
The shelter, which exists mostly on donations, charges a six-euro ($6.50) fee per child for a two-hour workshop. Schools from poorer neighborhoods inhabited largely by immigrants have their expenses covered.
Hunting dogs have largely been excluded from a legislative drive to bolster animal rights and punish abusers. The hunting industry is worth an estimated annual five billion euros ($5.4bn) in Spain and has a powerful lobby.
Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday