Spain update 24 april 2025

Thursday the 24^th of April 2025

After hurricane Marianne and co. had passed through Casa Belgica, we were left with 40 baby proof galgo ladies who must continue to recover from the drastic life-changing operation that saved them from giving birth to hopeless babies. One of them had been pregnant and had an abortion. Just like the pregnant female, all her fellow patients bore the terrible marks of the hunting violence on their tired, skinny bodies, but not for much longer. Love, dedication, peace, safety, security and good food worked wonders. But first things first. Half an hour after their arrival, Marianne and Dirk B, who had been on the road since 5:00h this morning and were now a well-oiled team in the clinic, were getting everything ready for the first 10 ladies who were on their way with Marie-Carmen. I was overjoyed with their arrival and was ready for it. As usual, I was the cook on duty and all sorts of other things and would pamper my 2 and 4 legged guests. Dirk did the maintenance, the washing, cleaning up the pee as usual and went around with the “poop mobile”. Marie-Carmen was there 10 minutes later with the first 10 ladies, another 10 minutes later the first galgo lady was already on the operating table at 12:20h. Of course, I continued to watch and enjoy and then went to reassure the waiting ladies. I was overjoyed by the fact that dozens of ladies would be made baby proof and Dirk B would then provide them with beautiful teeth and a tattoo in their ear with the S for “Stérilisé” because after a few weeks you could no longer see the scar on their bellies because Marianne’s incision for the total sterilization, in which not only the fallopian tubes but also the uterus are removed, is so small and fine and fades. No matter how bad it was, in the afternoon it started to rain, fortunately it did not bother the dogs or the team because they were too busy. Anyway, in the meantime I was also busy preparing supper, I was going to make pasta with fried mushrooms in onion, garlic and sauce… No easy task if you do not know when your guests will be sitting at the table. Around 18:30h they came upstairs, freshened up and then they were ready for the obligatory aperitif and the chat for which there had been no time until then. After half an hour I rushed to the kitchen to start my supper in the hope of a blessing, which turned out to be a success... Even though they had been up since 5:00h, they did not go to bed until 22:30h after a final check on their patients, that's how much we had to tell...

The next day, Saturday the 19^th of April, we were still having breakfast when Marie-Carmen arrived at 8:30h with 10 new patients, in the afternoon she would come with the other 5 ladies because her van was too small for 15 at once... Dirk and Dirk B rushed outside to guide the galgo ladies through our curious pack to the clinic. After a chat, Marie-Carmen left for the shelter and Marianne went to the clinic. After Dirk came back inside to devour the rest of his breakfast and cold coffee, he glided back outside. I followed a little more cautiously because for me it was quite an undertaking to get downstairs uninjured surrounded by our excited dogs with tangerines and other goodies in my hands. After half an hour in the clinic and with the patients I left for "my" kitchen and started preparing my extensive healthy lunch and the mixed salads that went with it. Because so much was happening and I had to do all sorts of things, I wrote down what I should not forget to write in my updates for the possible readers. 

Around 13:00h they came upstairs, and the communal meal was interrupted by the arrival of the remaining 5 galgo ladies. So, they returned to the clinic an hour later and resumed work. In the late afternoon Dirk and I went to convince the last 5 ladies, who were having a great time in the garden “waiting room”, to come inside for their procedure. After playing a game back and forth they meekly walked along to the veranda where they had to wait their turn. I went back upstairs and started preparing my Greek-themed supper. When they came upstairs at 18:00h there were 25 baby proof galgo ladies dreaming of a new life full of roses and moonlight in Belgium. I hope so, but in the present time, people are becoming more indifferent to animal suffering. There are fewer adoptions and more quitters and cancellations than we have ever known. The suffering that the animals must endure remains the same horror, if not even worse. In any case, we do not give up. Marianne, who has been coming to sterilize for twenty years, does not give up either, nor does her current assistant, nor does the staff, nor does all the people who make GINB what it is, and certainly not Dirk and I, so… In the evening, after the obligatory phone call from Dirk B to Martine, there was a lot of debate and laughter over my delicious Greek supper, because despite everything, there must be laughter too. When we went to bed, the 25 galgo ladies in the quiet, warm clinic and veranda continued to dream about a bright future, I was sure of it…

The next day on Easter Sunday there was no less work, as usual the vets’ room came to life around 7:00h and Marianne and Dirk B marched outside after their toilet, fifteen minutes later followed by Dirk. The first ones went to the clinic and Dirk with his poop mobile and the garden hose at the ready marched into the garden. I was responsible for the “table set yourself” and breakfast. Today the last 15 ladies and a few special cases had their turn, as usual the first ladies arrived during our “Easter breakfast” without Easter eggs or chicken eggs because nobody felt like eggs, a fact I did not grieve about. Anyway at 9:00h there was already plenty of activity in the clinic, the weather was nice and the ladies who were operated on Friday were strolling in the garden after their breakfast. In the afternoon it was yesterday’s ladies turn. After assisting Dirk while they ate, I had the opportunity to take a good look at them all again, and again I concluded that most of them had injuries on their skinny ribs that were not yet fully healed and that more than a month after the hunting season had ended. Poor, poor brutalized abused suckers, fortunately they were now safe and secure. Because Tito was the only galgo left after our Hyppolythe died we had decided to surprise him with a galgo girlfriend. Only I panicked at the thought of having to "choose" one I had never chosen before, they always lingered. Blind, crippled, hopeless, very old etc. etc.!! This was different, now I had to choose instead of the other way around.

But who should I choose, they all needed a warm home. Who should I offer security and who not if they all needed it so much??? I didn't know and kept postponing and postponing and feeling terribly guilty. Even Marianne's assistant didn't help me decide, I couldn't bring myself to choose one. The fact that Dirk was going to prepare frozen fries with chicken that evening that would later turn out to be stuffed turkey gave me even more time to rack my brain. Anyway, when they were done that evening there were again 15 ladies baby proof and a total of 40 galgo ladies staying in the clinic, and yes, they all dreamed of a new life. It became a last relaxing evening together; we were all tired but happy and satisfied with what had been achieved. The next day it was an early day because they must be at the airport early so, they left after breakfast saying goodbye and the obligatory photo in front of the van ...

When they had left, I was left with 40 females who were lazing around in the garden and the veranda. A touchingly inviting image so I sat down among them and daydreamed until Dirk returned from the airport… As soon as I sat on the stone steps the dark brindle female, who had been following me around constantly since I visited the ladies, came to press herself against me lovingly. She put her head in my neck and kissed me softly. The poor animal had arrived the day before yesterday and had typical burns on her flanks, back and ears which were the result of burning cigarettes that had been put out on her body. Unbelievable you think, isn't it… When most of the dogs had left for the shelter Dirk sent a photo to Marianne 3 days later of the 6 dogs whom I had retained because they were still too thin, too timid or too weak and which were staying in Casa Belgica until we would leave for Belgium in June. She sent me an email back saying which 2 of them I should choose… She would then take the one who had vomited after the operation and almost choked but thanks to her good care recovered and was currently walking around quickly… Even though she had announced several times that she could not adopt this time due to the circumstances, she had already given in. She will never unlearn it, so I also named her new “acquisition” Marianne. As far as I am concerned, I still have not chosen, now that there are only 5 left it is even more difficult. 

So, I'm going to let Tito choose for himself, after all she is going to be his girlfriend. Because a few days later he didn't feel like visiting the ladies on his 3 legs to choose a possible fiancée and I kept whining that I couldn't choose, Dirk made the decision on Friday the 25^th of April to get rid of my whining. When I was sitting outside, he let the dark brindle female with the burns on the terrace. She walked as fast as she could into my arms, put her head in my lap and gave me kisses on my hands. While I swallowed tears of emotion Dirk said, "voilà she has chosen you, you can see how much she loves you so you can't get out of it anymore". To emphasize his words, he added that it had to be that way. And so, Clementine joined our family and was greeted enthusiastically by our curious dogs a little later, Tito watched from a distance. In the evening, she ate her first hot supper with the dogs, then came to look in the living room, stared blindly at the TV and then lay down in a donut, as if she knew it all from a previous life. The next day she stood with her "new" brothers and sisters in the bedroom to wish us good morning and I was sure that the others had certainly shown her how to get through the hatch during the night because she had been to the toilet outside properly. Unbelievable she knew what was expected of her, it could not be otherwise, or she was an old soul. Anyway, the most important thing was that we had found each other for life, and I would never deny her love. After everything she had been through, she was safe and secure forever.