Spain update January - February 2026
Monday, the 5th of January 2026
For my first update of 2026, I would like to wish each of you and all your loved ones a peaceful 2026 full of love and friendship…
Best wishes,
Mireille, Dirk, and all co-workers
The explosive arrival of 2026
If I had thought there would not be anything to write about in the last month of the year, I was wrong. Hunting season went on as usual, meaning from dawn to dusk, and long afterwards, there was shooting and gunfire… As a result, many victims of these massacres found their way to the shelter. Some were dumped there; others were found injured and starving. The reader might say, "It is always the same old story," and indeed, you are right, meaning that the situation is unfortunately not improving, quite the opposite. Mine was not either, because my condition was deteriorating, and the doctors were faced with a dilemma. To solve this, I now must take pills for my pancreas, much to my dismay, for a month and wait… Anyway, on the 22nd of December, Marie-Carmen announced that a young female dog had been dumped with two broken front legs. It was either that or torn ligaments. In any case, she could no longer walk, only with difficulty, so she was worthless baggage to her "owner" and she was dumped.
After this sad news, I sent an email to Dr. De Frutos, who immediately replied that they were expecting us there on the 30th of December at 9:00h. Until then, to our great sorrow, we lost our sweet, crazy bull terrier, Loulou-Babalou, on the 23rd of December at the age of barely
4 1/2 years old, to the same disease that killed Hercules: a kidney disease that only manifests itself when it is too late. The vet was powerless, and so were we. So, by saying goodbye to Loulou Babalou early, we celebrated Christmas with the rest of our dog family in a somber mood. As usual, there was a heavy "bombardment" of deafening fireworks in all the colors of the rainbow... Meanwhile, in Calypo, the desperate howls of all the scared dogs outside resounded. Either on a small patio, or in a small, enclosed garden area in the back, whether on a leash or not... Dogs who had never seen, nor ever would see, the inside of a house, not that anyone cared...
On Tuesday, the 30th of December, we leave for Dr. De Frutos with Justine at 7:30h. Because she is the last victim of 2025, I am giving her a name with the letter J, just like the unfortunate ones who preceded her last year and underwent surgery by Dr. De Frutos and recovered with us. This makes it easier for me to remember that she is from 2025. After a thorough blood test, which thankfully was negative for all tropical and other conditions, the X-rays reveal that both legs are broken just above and below the joint, and she needs two surgeries because she is in excruciating pain. Nevertheless, like all galgos, she is very brave and does not complain. The first surgery is scheduled for Friday the 9th of January, so she will be coming with us to Casa Belgica until then.
The next day is the last day of 2025, and we will "celebrate" the transition from New Year's Eve to New Year in a noisy way. Justine does not blink an eye and stays calmly in her donut during the intense fireworks display. As if she knows no one can hurt her anymore.
Thursday, the 8th of January and Friday, the 9th of January 2026
From 8:00h onward, excitement erupts among the dogs as Dirk drives his van outside. When he then starts loading the beds into the van, there is general consternation because they know what it means: that it is their turn next and they are off to the dog hotel!!! Because tomorrow they will be pouring the last remnants of the fire (sticky plastic and rubber) still clinging to the roads leading to the clinic under a layer of concrete, there is no other option. It is not that they are reluctant to go; on the contrary, during the preparations, they pass each other in excitement and cannot get into the van fast enough, where everyone knows their place. Only Justine is staying with me because tomorrow, Friday, we will be driving her to Talavera, where she has an appointment at 9:00h for her first surgery. Luckily she does not know what awaits her and is looking at me questioningly from her basket because apparently she does not understand where all the other housemates have suddenly gone... Poor little dog, so friendly and affectionate, so discrete and so good and tidy because for her it is the first time that she is staying in a house after the dark cages and bars where she was housed for her entire life until recently.
The next day we leave with Justine at 8:00h for Talavera. The whole way she lies quietly staring, as if she knows that from today her life is going to change completely. An hour later we arrive at the appointment. Dr. De Frutos explains everything in detail again and decides that it is best to pick her up tomorrow because in addition to the major surgery on her leg, she is also being made baby proof—a lot at once for such a sweet little dog. After being weighed, she goes calmly with Dr. De Frutos to the Operation Room. He will keep us updated and let us know as soon as possible whether everything went well. Before we drive home in heavy traffic, we first do some shopping in the super-busy Xanadu and then return to the quiet Casa Belgica, which feels strange without our dogs. In the early afternoon, Dr. De Frutos lets us know that everything went well with Justine!! I expected nothing less…
That evening, we received better news because Juliette, you know, who was recovering after her surgery in Belgium with our employee Kevin, was being adopted by some of our first adopters. We could not be happier because the adopter, with a photo of Juliette on her lap, told me to tell Dr. De Frutos that he is a true artist. When we pick up Justine the next day, I kept my promise and told the doctor that he has a true hero status in Belgium, so far…
Tuesday, the 13th of January 2026
Today, Justine has another appointment with Dr. De Frutos to inspect her wound, so we leave for Talavera again at 8:00h. As soon as we arrive at the clinic, an assistant comes to give her an injection because the examination for her leg is being done under anesthesia. Regardless, a few minutes later, Dr. De Frutos comes to get us, and we escort a wobbly Justine, whose anesthesia is now starting to take effect, to his office, where the doctor, with the help of his assistant, removes her bandage and examines the wound with approval and satisfaction. After he has "wrapped" her leg again, I ask if the second procedure will be as bad as the one she has undergone. "Yes," he says, and he shows us the fractures in her other leg again, making me feel sick, both literally and figuratively, to see them. It is incredible that she can endure so much pain without complaint. It will take at least a month to a month and a half before the second leg can be operated on, because the surgery cannot be done until her existing leg is strong enough to support her weight. Back home, the first month and a half of rehabilitation can begin. Once that is done, it will be March. Then comes the second surgery. Assuming all goes well, the second rehabilitation will end in May. That means she will be with us for about five to six months! That will not work out, if you know what I mean…
Wednesday, the 14th of January 2026
A day full of worry, sorrow, and painful decisions. Due to persistent health problems that, to my frustration, have not improved in recent months, weeks, and days, Dirk cancels my bookings for the trip to Belgium and the beach walk, despite strong protests, and changes the flight and hotel reservations to one person instead of two. Because I lose my balance twice that same day, he does not dare leave me alone anymore and, in consultation with the co-workers, who all support him and believe my health comes first, decides, at the last minute, to cancel his reservations as well. Whether I am angry or happy about it, he sticks to his position. Raymond Beukenhout will give a short speech during the walk to inform everyone why Dirk and I are absent. I cannot contain my disappointment, because I had so much in mind: 30 years of GINB, 25 years of Koksijde (- 2 years of Corona), and 80 years of Mireille, all celebrated with a welcome drink. Unfortunately, I am heartbroken that it cannot take place, and my wish is being denied!!
Regardless, no one, except myself, will lose any sleep over it, because no one will notice our absence; the service will be top-notch as usual. Coordinator Dirk B. and all the co-workers are in on the plot and will do everything they can to give the participants and their dogs a wonderful afternoon and make the 23rd/25th Beach Walk a success. All that remains is for me to apologize again for my absence and hope for your understanding. In the meantime, I know everything went perfectly, and I can stop worrying.
Wednesday, the 21st of January 2026
This past week, Justine's wound was becoming increasingly bothersome, starting to itch and irritate, and so on, sigh. Despite being endearingly sweet, affectionate, and everything you could want from a galgo, she could not keep her paws off her wound, and Dirk had to change her bandage up to four times a day. This problem resulted in us putting her in a loose, uncomfortable basket, much to her annoyance, to prevent her from picking at the bandage, picking at her wound, and licking it. While Justine and we were struggling with her leg, two galgos in Belgium were also struggling. Yesterday, two female dogs, one 8 years old and the other 5 years, who had been relinquished due to separation, were brought in. Another problem, and cause for concern, because who would adopt these poor dogs who had always been together?
Anyway, on Tuesday, I had to go to the clinic in Navalcarnero at 9:40h for a blood test. Because we did not know how long we would have to wait, we had arranged a "dog sit" for everyone's peace of mind. I could not bear the thought of anything happening; you never know. We arrived at the clinic well in advance, where, to my horror, about ten patients were waiting for one nurse. Hopefully, they were not all waiting for a blood test, I whined to Dirk. After a good half hour in the waiting room, it was my turn. When I told the nurse I had difficult veins, she mumbled (like all the others before her) that it was not a problem. Well, after four attempts, needle changes, and searching for a vein in my right arm, she shook her head and said, "No way!" Because I did not feel like going back, I convinced her to try again and offered my left arm, where, after five rounds of searching and probing, she finally found a vein willing to give a small amount of blood—luckily, just enough. When I came outside, Dirk sighed, and even though he knew, he teasingly asked why I had been gone for half an hour! I replied grumpily, "Guess what..." A few hours later, we received a call from the regional officials telling us that a good friend of ours had lost his last Galgo. We called him immediately and told him the story of the two returned females... Tomorrow, he is going to pick them both up from Hof Rosa Canina! I could not be happier. Besides, Dirk is also picking up our nine dogs from the dog hotel tomorrow. Justine will be thrilled, and so will we.
Thursday, the 22nd of January 2026
I thought I was over the moon, and so I was. Around 5:00h Marie-Carmen called in a panic to say that a galgo had been brought in. I could not understand what happened next because she was speechless. She was wailing about José Ramon (the local vet) and a crushed galgo with a lot of blood, asking if she could bring her in because she needed heat. I stopped her torrent of words and told her to bring the dog asap, while Dirk would prepare the recovery room. At 7:30h, she was standing at the gate in the pouring rain with a white female galgo, and Dirk, followed by Marie-Carmen, walked with the poor animal in his arms to the clinic where I was waiting for them. We had already seen a lot, but apparently not everything. She had been stitched up from her neck to her abdomen, and there were clotted blood and dirt all over the mangled animal. Her story: a galguero took her from an old colleague where, like most galgos, she was living in appalling conditions. The next day, he tested her with his galgo in the open field to see how fast she ran. Chased, she ran at full speed into freshly pruned old vines, whose branches were like daggers, and she was pierced! The skin of her chest and belly was ripped open from top to bottom; it must have been horrific. Anyway, the galguero, who occasionally dumps a galgo at the shelter, calls Marie-Carmen to say he is bringing her, puts the female dog in a life-threatening condition, bleeding, in a dirty crate, and drives 300 km to Calypo because he wants to get rid of her. Having her neutered and paying for a vet is not in his vocabulary! On the way, he calls to say she is crying, but he can no longer hear her and she might be dead. It is excruciating. Anyway, the vet has been notified and prepared for anything.
When we see the gruesome photos of the impact, we cannot believe our eyes: a large open hole with her lungs and the rest of her intestines exposed. How she survived is a mystery to us. She must have had a guardian angel who finally decided something had to be done about her terrible life and thought she deserved better. Now that she is with us, we will do everything we can to make her better and do whatever it takes to make her happy.
When the mangled, frightened animal, still under anesthesia, groans quietly and looks around, shivering and confused, as she wakes up, I cannot hold back the tears. Before Marie-Carmen leaves, I tell her that GINB will take care of the vet bill and that she should not worry. Then we return to comfort the poor little thing and cover her up for the night. Despite the excruciating pain she must be in, she endures everything in silence. When I gently caress her head again before we leave, she looks at me in amazement. “Daddy” Dirk will come and take another look soon; I whisper to her…
Friday, the 23rd of January and Saturday, the 24th of January 2026
When we go to check on the white female dog in the morning, she is still under her blanket in the warm recovery room where it is a constant 25°C, and she is wagging her tail. Although I have been mulling over a name for half the night, I still have not decided, so she does not have one yet. I initially looked for a name with a letter J until I realized it was 2026, and the dogs we are caring for this year now will have names with a letter K. However, the letter K is not a "name-friendly" letter, as there are not many names with a letter K. Long story short, I am going to call her Juliana, with "Koningin" in front of it, so her name starts with a letter K. Not exactly satisfying, is it? So, it ends up being KiKi... The female dog could not care less; she probably does not care what she is called. If she is warm and in a safe place where no one is tyrannizing her and she does not have to be afraid anymore, she will be more than happy. Despite her severe injuries, she hesitantly gets out of bed to greet us gratefully and curiously examines the candy I brought before devouring it in three bites. After Dirk had tended to her, I put a T-shirt on her to protect her wound. When we return upstairs, she sticks her head through the dog door and watches us longingly, slightly weeping. I reassure her that we will be back soon. Before she goes under the covers around midnight, she receives four more visitors…
The next day, Dirk leaves to visit her at 8:00h, and at 10:00h. I joined her, accompanied by our curious dog children who know very well that there is another new guest in the recovery room, eagerly awaiting them. Apparently, she heard us coming because when we went in, she was waiting for us, wagging her tail. While Dirk goes to get fresh pee towels, she eagerly presses her snout into the palm of my hand where yesterday's treat was. I had expected it, so she gets the expected treat, which she eats in three bites, just like yesterday, as if she wants to savor each piece even more. After the treat, we put her in a new T-shirt, and then Dirk, with some difficulty, removes the intravenous needle, which is still firmly stuck in her vein. She is whining in pain because her leg is not shaved and the thing is stuck solid, so...with my painfully hunched back, I can barely control her head, which she constantly tries to lower to get rid of. Thankfully, the job is done after a long 10 minutes. It is about time, because it was making me sick.
Saturday, the 31st of January, Sunday, the 1st of February 2026,
We have had a terrible week, especially poor Kiki, who had three surgeries in one week!!! Yes, three times!!! Because last Wednesday, to our horror, her wound had torn open under her bandage during the night, and we stared with horror at the large bloody hole in her abdomen. Marie-Carmen was notified and took her back to the local vet. After a few hours, she was delivered back in the late afternoon, still under anesthesia. The next day, Thursday, to our horror, the scar had torn open again, and the large bloody hole and her intestines stared us back in the face. I was furious and immediately sent an emergency email to Dr. De Frutos with the necessary explanation, photos, and a request for help. Twenty minutes later, his relieving reply arrived: he was expecting us the following day, Friday, at 9:00h. After removing the temporary bandage Dirk had applied, he took her away, shaking his head, and said, "I will take care of her and keep you informed."
Towards evening, we received photos of a perfectly reconstructed wound. All the torn skin had been cut away, and a cannula was in place to drain the wound fluid. She just arrived today and is thrilled to see us again. The dogs are very interested and treat her like a fragile doll. So, I decided to keep her at home because she is a doll. Dirk cannot leave her side, so I decided she will stay. Otherwise, she will be sad in recovery, is my reasoning. And besides, it has been raining almost constantly day and night for weeks now, making me sick and crazy, and they are predicting rain for a few more weeks, and not just a little bit. It is pouring with rain. It is not easy to "walk" to recovery, especially not for me, I think. I do not walk in the pouring rain…
In the evening, she eats with our dogs without any problem, then lies on a soft blanket next to Dirk. Later that evening, she discovers the comfort of a donut. When we go to bed, Dirk stays in the living room; I go to bed as usual with Lola and Maximus, who each sleep on their donut in our room. At night, she sleeps like an innocent, and in the morning, she greets us enthusiastically, along with the dogs and fellow patient Justine.
In the afternoon, we must change her bandage, a delicate task that we are thankfully used to. On Tuesday, we have a checkup with Dr. De Frutos. Both Justine and Kiki are approved, and so are we regarding all our points for care. After the adoption day on the 28th of February, she will have surgery on her second leg. Sweet Kiki will be able to stay with Yolanda. But that is still a long way to go. Today is Sunday, the 1st of February, and in faraway Belgium, regional coordinators Ann, Nancy, and Kristien are organizing the “Dia del Galgo” in Leuven! We can only hope the weather stays good and there is a large presence. After eagerly watching videos of the demonstration all day, we can reflect on the day with peace of mind this evening. It was a great edition, with many participants, and the weather remained kind to us. Thank you for a fantastic job, ladies!
Friday, the 6th of February 2026
Today I leave number 7 behind and start number 8… In other words, today I was born in Ghent 80 years ago. To my surprise, this fact was announced on Facebook with great fanfare in a beautiful video with moving music and lyrics, which deeply moved me. At the same time, I am surprised that so many adopters have already responded at this early hour with heartwarming congratulations and tributes, which I am trying to read through my tears. I am truly touched, because I did not expect so much praise and recognition when I founded GINB thirty years ago!!
In the days that followed, I received another package at Casa Belgica containing countless birthday cards sent by adopters to De Pinte and forwarded by Claire and Raymond to Spain. A huge surprise, so many envelopes! It is almost a full-time job to open and read them all. Thank you to all the writers; I am so happy you thought of me!!! When I express my gratitude on Facebook for all kindness, a flood of wishes follows. So, once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your wishes. They not only warmed my heart but also convinced me to keep going, because, after all, 80 is just a number, someone wrote on Facebook…
After all the homage, I have decided to choose three galgos, who are about my age in dog years, as a birthday present to travel with me to Belgium as "extras." Two older men and one older woman. They have all been at the shelter for a few years and were unfortunately never selected, so I sincerely hope my decision will change their fortunes and this time they will be welcomed with all the bells and whistles and spoiled with an enthusiastic welcome from the owners they have been waiting for so long.
Wednesday, the 18th of February 2026
Yesterday was a day we will never forget, a day that will forever be etched in our memories and in the annals of GINB history. Our cheerful, dear, and loyal Ellen Borro passed away yesterday morning at 4:30h, just as dawn broke. A terrible event, which Yolanda, who was closest to her, informed us of. Besides a few close friends, Ellen had practically no family left; to her, GINB was her family. Despite being prepared, it was a bolt from the blue that left us all confused and in tears.
It all started in February 2025 when she was not feeling well and went to the doctor, who referred her to a specialist. After numerous tests, she was told she had pancreatic cancer and
recommended major surgery to remove it.
In March 2025, the major surgery was performed in the hope that they could remove the cancer and make her feel better. Not so...
In June 2025, she celebrated her 65th birthday in the rehabilitation center, after which she was allowed to return home after a long hospital stay. Yolanda brought Merle back to her owner, and a happy reunion followed! Unfortunately, it did not last long.
In December 2025/2026, Ellen was again admitted to the hospital because metastases had been discovered, and she received the news that there was nothing more they could do for her. She moved to palliative care, from where she called me in Spain to convince me to take my medication, which was the same as hers. Meanwhile, it turned out my pancreas was not functioning properly either. So, I solemnly promised her that I would take my medication meticulously, remembering her. The only sign of life I received from Ellen afterwards were birthday wishes, because in all her misery, she had not forgotten my birthday. Throughout her palliative care, Yolanda continued to visit her and bring her news about her beloved Merle.
Now that Ellen has passed away, Merle will remain with Yolanda forever and can continue her life there until she decides the time has come to join her beloved "human mom" in heaven...
I would like to thank everyone who has expressed their condolences for our beloved Ellen on Facebook and elsewhere.
Sincerely,
Mireille
