THE charity Galgos Del Sol hosted a day of dog-fuelled fun at Ullacoombe Farm on Saturday, raising £1,761 for their rescue centre and operations across Britain, Spain and many other areas of Europe.

The day predominantly revolved around the dog show, which was a fun and casual affair in which any dog could throw their hat into the ring.

Other activities included doggy lucky dip, craft stalls, a bouncy castle, tombola, flyball, puzzles and outdoor craft activities from Backwater Adventures. There was also a host of food and drinks and products provided by local producers and craftspeople.

The day was organised and in aid of Galgos Del Sol, a charity based in Southern Spain but also operating across Britain and Europe more widely. The charity was founded by Tina Wales Solera who moved to Spain several years ago from the UK, after seeing the plight of the Galgos and Podencos in Spain and decided to help.

A Galgo Español, or Spanish Greyhound is an ancient breed of hunting dog, once raised exclusively by Spanish nobles. Similarly, Podencos are a large hound dog breed which were commonly used for hunting rabbits.

Today, both breeds are among the most abused breeds of dog on the planet. Thousands are killed across Spain every year while countless more are abandoned or starved.

The dogs are used for hunting and competing. After one or two hunting seasons, the thousands of dogs who do not measure up are disposed of, often in very brutal ways.

Galgos del Sol now have a large network of people across the UK who support the charity’s efforts at protecting these dogs. Many of the dogs that are rescued by Galgos Del Sol are rehomed in here in the UK. All are fully health tested and checked before being found new loving homes.

Galgos Del Sol care for the dogs at their own rescue centre, which can have up to 300 dogs in their care at any one time, many of which require veterinary treatment and behavioural therapy.

Volunteers Philippa Davidson, Carly Nairn, Roy Davidson, Mary Nairn and Maria Holmes coordinate much of Galgos Del Sol’s work in the South West. The dog show and fun day at the farm was the first full event they organised, and their biggest and boldest to date.

One of the organisers, Carly Nairn, said: ‘After three years of intense planning and three cancellations of the event as a result of Covid-19 and the recent heatwave, we were over the moon to finally be able to hold this event, we all had such an amazing time at our first big event.

‘Philippa and myself got involved with this charity about six years ago and we both got dogs from there. We could see how badly the dogs have been treated and the amazing care the charity gives to them which is why this issue and Galgos Del Sol are so close to our hearts.

‘We want to say a big thank you to Ullacombe Farm for letting us use their land for the event and for all their help.

‘We also want to give thanks to the stallholders and charities, as well as everyone who came out and supported us.’

The rain stayed off all day, and the event was a success, raising a substantial amout for the charity.

To find out more about Galgos del Sol, their work and how to donate or get involved, visit: https://galgosdelsol.org/#skip