Celebrating My 20th Visit to Scooby

Darrell and the Scooby Galgos

My 20th Visit to Scooby in Spain — Meeting a Special Little Black Dog

It has been almost two years since my last visit to Spain and Scooby. I’m way past due to update my blog with new adventures. Pardon my long pause. I’ve been lazy.  But here we go!  Better late than never.

In late April, 2022, my husband, Darrell, and I took another fantastic trip to Spain, Scooby and some other Spanish destinations.  

Our first night, we stayed downtown in San Diego, close to the airport. It was a fun area, with lots of great restaurants and bars. But the road that the hotel was on was so busy and noisy, and with the anticipation of our trip, we didn’t sleep at all.  We were up very early and caught a Lyft to get to our American flight to Philadelphia.  We had all of the appropriate COVID paperwork done ahead of time. All went well. We arrived in Philadelphia on time and had a decent layover for our next leg to Madrid.

Darrell had an aisle seat and I was in the dreadful middle seat, which was not so bad with my flight partner to hug. We arrived early morning in Madrid and everything went smoothly to get us through immigration.

Madrid!

We took a cab to our hotel, but there was a lot of construction in the area, so the cab left us near Puerta del Soul  We had a bit of trouble locating our Hotel Francisco 1, but once we did, we found it to be a delight. It was such a beautiful and well appointed place, and for a small fee, we got early checkin and a superior room with a huge balcony and super views.  The hotel was in a prime area, with access to many restaurants and shops. We enjoyed two nights there.

View from our hotel patio

View from our hotel patio

View from our hotel patio

View from our hotel patio

The third day, we left early morning to take the fast train to Medina del Campo and Scooby. When we arrived at the Medina station, the very kind  attendant called a cab for us, and we went to my favorite hotel there, the Reina Isabel.  

The staff there is like family, and they greeted us warmly.  They had never met my husband, so it was extra special.  And their lovely daughter was working at the desk, which was another surprise. We had a larger, very nice, clean, comfortable, quiet room, with a fridge.  Had time to freshen up, and then took a cab to Scooby.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to get a cab to get to or from Scooby. The very kind daughter always helped us with cabs. In fact, one day, Mother’s Day, she and  her brother came to Scooby to give us a ride to the hotel, letting us know we are like family. I love them so much!

Back at Scooby

It’s always exciting to pull into the driveway at Scooby. Just before you enter the gates, Fermin’s dogs come to the front fence to greet you with tail wags.  You hear all of the familiar sounds of the dogs barking. 

We entered the gates and experienced all of those warm and familiar feelings of being back where you belong.  Said our greetings to the staff and volunteer friends who were there. We met up with friends from Spain, the UK and Slovenia,  After that, it was time to visit the animals.  

There were many dogs of all sorts: galgos, podencos, mastins and mixed breeds. Each and every dog wants to meet and greet you. Tails are wagging, the dogs are gathering and jumping up on the fences and walls, hoping for your love and attention. It is such a wonderful feeling to be so wanted and welcome!

Scooby Galgos

Scooby Galgos

Scooby Dogs

Scooby Galgo

Each day, we got up, had a nice breakfast at the hotel, and took a cab to Scooby.  We visited the local Dia grocery store for supplies and brought our lunches to the shelter.  For dinner, we walked to the local restaurants in Medina. 

On this visit, we mostly socialized with the dogs and did a bit of cleaning.

Scooby Galgos

Darrell in Rita’s Paddock 

Galgos Priscilla and Sting (Henry) now living in CA

A Special Little Black Dog

In Spring, 2021, Scooby posted photos of an extremely sad looking fuzzy mix black dog that they picked up from the streets of Zamora. She looked young, and soon delivered eight puppies when she was at the shelter.  She appeared to have mange and was severely neglected.  My heart went out to her and her puppies. I posted her photo, asking someone to adopt her. No one did. 

Rita when she first came to Scooby 

Rita in her paddock at Scooby

Rita was hard to catch at Scooby

I asked a friend from Slovenia to check on her in Fall, 2021.  She was still there with one of her puppies. She sent me photos. I wasn’t sure about adding her to our pack because she was extremely shy.  When I visited the shelter in the Fall of 2021, she was still there. She was in a kennel with a mixed bunch of dogs of all sizes and doing so much better. I vowed that if no one adopted her by next visit in Spring, 2022, we would. No one did. So we did!

Before our Spring, 2022 trip, I convinced my husband that we should adopt her. Her name was Ranja, but I renamed her Rita, after my Mom.  One of our primary goals during our visit was to socialize and get to know her. She was in a large paddock with several other mix dogs, at that time. We could barely catch her to pet her. So we went into her paddock and sat and waited for her to come to us. The third day, Darrell was able to grab her and we both were able to pet her.  

Later, we learned from a volunteer vet that he took care of Rita and her puppies. All were adorable and adopted before they left the shelter. He treated all of them for skin conditions before they left.

We had Rita’s DNA tested. She’s a 21 different breed mix, most prominently German Shepherd, which you can’t see in her, except that she is a very good watch dog, and some of her puppies looked to be Shepherd. The others looked just like her.

We weren’t able to bring Rita home with us on that trip because of COVID and airline restrictions.  Fortunately, our good friends at S.A.G..E. (Save A Galgo Espanol), were able to bring her to San Francisco, in June, 2022. We drove up to the Bay Area to get her. 

Rita has been with us for over 1 1/2 years now. It took a while, but she has become relaxed and at home with us.  She is loving  and sweet. We are so happy to have her here!  From a momma dog on the street who had eight beautiful puppies, that no one wanted and no one could touch, to our girlie girl who loves to be loved. 

Animal rescue: this is what it’s all about!

Scooby Days

While we were there, I celebrated my 20th visit to Scooby, over the past 11 years. My friend, Melissa Beamish, from the UK was also there and celebrated her 11 year anniversary of animal rescue volunteer work. There was a small gathering of Scooby volunteers and staff to celebrate with pizza and snacks. It was such a nice get together, in the Scooby dorm.

We ended our visit with a last trip to Scooby to say our goodbyes and headed out very early morning for the Madrid airport. Next stop: Mallorca.

A Few Days in Mallorca 

We wanted to do something special on this trip to celebrate getting through the pandemic, so we booked a four day trip to Mallorca. The plane trip from Madrid is only one hour, and the vacation was very inexpensive.  When we arrived, we felt very James Bond to be there. The Island is much larger than imagined, and it has everything you would want. The people are warm and welcoming to tourists. In the area where we stayed, we discovered that most all of the tourists were from the UK. In fact, most of the restaurants, bars and entertainment cater to UK vacationers, making it easy to fit in and communicate.

We had booked an all-day tour to see the Island, but it didn’t work out. Cancelled and refunded, thankfully.  So we mainly hung out in our area near the beach. There were plenty of good restaurants and a wonderful walkway along the beach where we visited various hotels, shops snd eateries. People watching was fun too.

We stayed at the ME Hotel in Magaluf on Mallorca. The package price was good, through Iberia Airlines, the hotel was well-appointed, as expected. Overall, we loved it, had an excellent time and would return.

Flying into Mallorca

Our beach on Mallorca on a  Cool Day

Night View of Mallorca from our Room

Our beach on Mallorca on a Hot Day

Mallorca Sunset

Back to Madrid

We returned to Madrid for two days before returning home.  I booked us a very nice room at the Jardinis de Sabatini, near the Royal Palace. Another great place to stay, and close to so many fun things to see and do.  We had fun exploring the area and immersing ourselves in the culture.

COVID tests were still required to fly, so we went to a local clinic for the tests, passed and  traveled home.  Flew through Charlotte on the way home. Feels like they can’t handle large international flights. Very tedious.

Finally made it home to our pets, who all did well with us being gone for over two weeks.

Thankful for another great adventure to visit Scooby and more, having Darrell with me, seeing all of the great staff and volunteer friends, being with Rita, and a fun few days on Mallorca.

Thank you for reading my blog. World Galgo Day is February 1st, where we remember the plight of the Spanish Galgo. Please consider a donation to Scooby via G.R.I.N. (Galgo Rescue International Network), http://www.galgorescue.org/, and please be sure to note that it’s for Scooby.

A Tribute to Bless, the Galga Who Changed My Life

Bless’ Adoption Photo, 2011

Where it all Began

Twelve years ago, I made a trip to Spain to volunteer at the Scooby Shelter in Medina del Campo, and to get my first adopted Galga, Bless. We had her for 12 years, from May 2011, until we lost her to cancer on February 16, 2023. Little did I know at the time, but this trip and this Galgo would change my life forever. My Journey with Bless over the past 12 years is documented in this blog: http://adoptingagalgo.blogspot.com. This is her final chapter.

In 2010, we lost our first Greyhound, Daisy, to Osteosarcoma. We were looking to adopt another sighthound, and I had already decided that I’d like to rescue a Spanish Galgo. I had learned about Scooby from a friend, so I wrote to inquire about adopting. In early 2011, I selected a beautiful Galgo, named Bless, based on her adoption photos and description, filled out the adoption papers and was later approved.

One of the volunteers was going to Scooby in April, and offered to meet up and help me bring Bless home. I booked my flights and everything came together for my trip. I was in Spain for several days, and worked at the shelter for five days. Had such a wonderful experience and was hooked on going back again and again over the past 12 years.

Scooby, My Heart Place

I had never been around Galgos before that first trip. What I learned is that they are the most beautiful and gentle dogs I’ve ever met. The situation in Spain is dire for them, as they are bred and used for hunting, and then discarded in cruel and neglectful ways at the end of every hunting season. From having Bless and my other Galgos, I’ve learned that they make the best, most loving and affectionate pets that anyone could have.

Bless with Her Mates at Scooby, 2011

Bless Was Truly a Blessing

Bless was the quintessential Galgo. She was a beautiful blue brindle, with a sleek greyhound- like body, almond-shaped Spanish eyes, and a very long tail. She was friendly, sweet, gentle, calm and always a lady. She got along well with all people, all of our other dogs, and even two of our cats.

She was an ambassador for her breed, as she was one of the first Galgos brought to the U.S.A. during that time. She attended a few Greyhound reunions and introduced many to the magnificent Galgo breed. Since then, many, many Galgos have been brought over from Spain and adopted into loving homes in this Country, which is absolutely fabulous, and what we hoped for.

Bless, the Galgo Ambassador 

Bless’ Life

She loved to eat. Any time I was cooking in the kitchen, she would show up to see if there was something for her. I called her my “sous chef”. She was the cutest beggar in the World. If you had food, she would come up and gently plop her head in your lap, looking sweetly at you with those sweet Spanish eyes, asking for a morsel or two. Who could resist?

Bless, the Sweetest Beggar Ever

She loved to be outside. She had a way of walking very slowly, as she went out, explored and then came back in. We called her “mosey” because she had no sense of urgency. She would go to the door and bark loudly, beat on the door with her paw, and do a little dance, when she wanted to go out. She especially liked to wake up Dad/Darrell in the middle of the night, when she wanted to go out.

Bless, Her Last Visit Outside

She loved her home and family. In her younger days, she was a good watchdog, alerting us whenever someone approached our home. Her favorite places were our bedroom, in her bed, and in the living room, in another of her beds. She loved to be with us and her pack. Sometimes, she would move her bed to be nearer the action.

 

Bless, Our Guardian 

Losing Bless

On Christmas Eve, 2021, she became very sick, not eating and being sick to her stomach, We took her to an emergency Vet and waited over two hours in our car (during COVID) while the Vet checked her. She relayed that something serious was going on with her, and that we should have tests done to learn more. We opted to follow up with our regular Vet the following week. They did an ultrasound on her and found that she had two large cancerous tumors, one near her spleen, and also Cushing’s Disease. They recommended that we treat her with a prescription and some herbal supplements. They said that the cancer was aggressive, and did not recommend an operation. They could not estimate how long we would have her, but they said three months to one year was likely.

For over two years, we gave her these medications, which we are convinced extended her life and increased her quality of life:  Ursodiol (prescription), I’m-Yunity (herbal), Yunnan Baiyao Jiaonang (Chinese Herbal).

The Cushing’s Disease actually made her hungry, so she seldom lost her appetite. She had a few bad days where we thought about taking her in to the Vet, but overall, she had a very good quality of life for those two years, which was a miracle to us.

Two weeks ago when we awoke, we found her laying by our bedroom door, where she had tried to ask to go outside. She had collapsed. Her back legs had no strength, and she couldn’t stand without help. We continued to help her stand, and she still walked, albeit very shakily. Then she stopped eating, with the exception of a few morsels here and there. She then collapsed few more times and cried out to us. We’ve been through this many times, and we knew that it was time to let her go.

We called the same mobile Vet who helped us with Sara’s passing few years ago, and set an appointment for the next day, so we’d have one more full day to spend with her and say our goodbyes. The Vet came in the early afternoon. He was so kind and gentle with her and us. She laid on one of her beds in the living room. He gave the first shot to relax her, and then gave us time to say goodbye. When he returned, he gave the second shot. She left peacefully and painlessly. We had more time to say our final goodbyes. He gently took her to his car. We had her body cremated and will have a paw print for our memories.

Bless’ bed in our bedroom remains empty. The other dogs avoid sleeping there, as they knew it was hers. Every time we walk into the bedroom, we look for her sweet face, as she was always there to greet us for so many years. She was such a big part of our lives. She gave us so much love and joy, and we feel so very blessed to have had our beautiful little Scooby Galga Bless as our pet for so many years.

Bless in Her Favorite Bed in our Bedroom 

We go on now, missing our Girl, knowing that she is in a better place, pain free and happy. We know that she’s waiting to mosey to greet us when we, too, arrive. We love you and will miss you forever, sweet Bless. Rest well, my Love.

Bless, February 2023

Rest Well, Bless, Our Love

A Tribute to Brody, 9/2014-11/2021

Brody and Bless

This is a tribute to our Greyhound, Brody, who we lost to liver cancer three months ago.  It has taken me a while to write this because it has been so difficult to lose four of our five dogs over the past three years; two in the past year. We continue to grieve.

We adopted Brody over seven years ago, from Greyhound Friends for Life (GFFL), NorCal, in September 2016, after we lost our Greyhound, Wilma, to Osteosarcoma, a few months prior.  Barbara, from GFFL selected Brody for us. He was a big, goofy, sweet boy, rescued by super GFFL volunteers, from the horrendous race track in Tucson, AZ.

Brody loved to fetch

Brody was a big boy — the largest Greyhound we’ve ever had, at 75 lbs.  We called him our, “Gentle Giant”. He truly was.  He had a very excellent temperament, and was so easy going.  He loved to play with tennis and doggy balls, and he loved to fetch. He would hide the balls in corners and behind objects in the yard so that the other dogs wouldn’t take them. He ran like the wind in our front and back yards.  He ate like a horse and loved his treats.  He was such a happy soul.  His favorite place was on our sectional sofa, lying upside down, sleeping with a big grin on his face. As he grew older, sometimes he couldn’t hold it and would go into one of our bathrooms and aim to pee in one of our toilets.  Hilarious!

Happy, happy Brody

Brody became our alpha, and he was a kind one, teaching the others to be patient.  He’d lie on the kitchen floor, as we prepared the food, and the other dogs followed suit.  He was all love, and loved to be pet and cuddled.

Smiling Brody

He started to get picky about his food in October, 2021, and we knew that something wasn’t right.  Later in the month, we took him in for an exam, then to a specialist, thinking something may be wrong with his heart.  The ultrasound revealed that he had lesions on his liver, which indicated the very worst type of liver cancer that a dog can get. We ordered the recommended herbs to help support him, as we knew that this was best for him.  Brody made it until mid-November.  We went out for a bit for dinner. When we came home, he was lying by the Christmas tree, almost comatose. He had been bleeding from his mouth. We knew that it was time to let him go, so we called the emergency vet. They took him in right away and very gently and kindly put him to rest.  We know that he would not have made it through the night.

We cried our eyes out that night and beyond.  We so miss our big boy every day. A few days after his cremation, we received the plaque with his paw print and a few bits of his beautiful black and some white fur.

Since he left us, we adopted a beautiful Borzoi rescue from South Korea, Joy. She has helped heal our hearts from, yet another, loss of one of our beloved dogs.

Brody, we miss you so much. You were taken way too soon. You deserved to have more time here with us. But we know that you are in God’s loving arms, waiting for us to hug you once again, and to throw your favorite ball so that you can fetch it.  We love you forever, sweet Brody.

Rest well, sweet Brody

Hasta Luego! Thank you for reading my blog. Bless sends her blessings. Levi sends happiness.

Our lovely first Scooby Galga, Bless

Our handsome Scooby Podenco, Levi

Celebrating My 19th Visit to Scooby - Part Two

Scooby Galgos

So Good to be Back at Scooby

Madrid's Chamartin Train Station

The fourth day, it was time to rise and shine to catch the early train from Madrid to Scooby, in Medina del Campo.  Caught the fast train from Madrid (one hour), then took a cab directly to Scooby.  I cannot tell you how much joy I felt when the taxi drove up to the entrance. The sights, sounds and smells brought me right back to my roots. I took some time to tour the sanctuary, meet old and new friends, and visit the animals.  

Me and my Galgo Mix Buddy

I Wondered How Much Things Had Changed After Two Years

Headed to the Hotel Reina Isabel in Medina to unpack, get some dinner, a few groceries and some rest.  I love that little hotel and the staff.  I was so delighted to see that most all of the same people work there, as they have for years, and that they made it through the virus safely, thus far.  It was as clean and comfortable as ever, and I slept like a rock.

I was curious to see how Medina del Campo would be since the virus struck.  It was very much the same. Most all of restaurants and shops were open, and I was happy to see that a new Gadis grocery store opened and was very close to the hotel. Most days, I bought food there and made lunch and dinner instead of going out. 

Downtown Medina del Campo

The Scooby Animals

Such Wonderful Animals to Love

It was so great to be back at Scooby, as I wondered how things would be after the devastation of the virus.  Lots of improvements, including fences, security cameras, new perimeter paddocks and even a puppy paddock. The staff made it through these difficult times and continues to do their good work of rescuing so many animals.

Enjoyed seven days at Scooby, getting to know the animals, cleaning, feeding, socializing and cuddling with them. I noted that there were several empty paddocks, which is quite unusual. But considering the impact of the virus, so many things have changed.  There were a few dozen Galgos, most of whom were reserved for transport and adoption.  There were also a few dozen Podencos, Bull Terriers, Mastins, and a number of mixed breeds, large, medium and small. There were a couple of dozen adorable puppies. There were many cats and kittens of all sorts.  On the farm, there were horses, a bull, donkeys, goats and sheep.  There were many chickens and my personal favorite, a white turkey, who was very friendly and sweet.


I Loved This Turkey! So sweet

The weather was really warm when I arrived in Madrid, and then in Medina del Campo, it became very chilly and windy in the mornings with gradual warming throughout the day.  The evenings were quite cool and the sunrises and sunsets were stunning. 

Back to Madrid

After my seventh day at Scooby, I caught the fast train back to Madrid. There was some confusion about which station to go to, as I wasn’t able to purchase my tickets online.  But I learned that you can purchase tickets at both stations.  The new fast station has a ticket kiosk and the old station has a clerk at the ticket desk.  The old train is for commuters and makes more stops. The new train takes one hour and only stops once in Segovia.  Ticket price is about 24 Euros each way.  Everyone wears masks on the trains and in the stations.  In fact, about 80% of the people wore masks on the streets, and you could not enter any public building without a mask. The train station employees were kind and helpful. 

The Fast Train Station in Medina del Campo

I stayed two more nights at the same hotel, Atlantico, in Madrid.  It's close to great restaurants and shopping, so I had the chance to visit some old familiar places and discovered some new.

My Cozy Room at Hotel Atlantico, Madrid

It was amazing to see very long lines of people waiting to purchase their Christmas lottery tickets. There we many people out and about, and the Christmas decorations were up.  

Found a Cool New Food Court with Views

The Long Line for Christmas Lottery Tickets

Had to have a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before flying.  Was able to get my test, in my room at the hotel, for 45 Euros.  Had all of the necessary paperwork to exit Spain and enter the U.S.

The Journey Back Home

I so wished that I could have brought some dogs back for adoption, but the American Airlines embargo on cargo animals continued. Hoping it's over so I can bring some in the Spring. As it ended up, in the morning that I was to leave, I received a text from American that my flight to Dallas was delayed due to thunderstorms.  I had a chance to sleep in a bit.  Got ready and caught a cab to the airport near Noon.  Had a smooth flight with empty seats next to mine, allowing me to spread out.  Had a three hour layover in Dallas. Caught some dinner at the airport before boarding.  The plane going to San Diego was completely packed and had engine problems, delaying us for 45 minutes more.  We were the last flight to arrive in San Diego after 12 a.m.  I was going to catch a Lyft or Uber home, but no response that late at night, so I called my husband, who picked me up at the airport and brought me home. All of my dogs were so glad to see me, and I them.  Rolled into bed and dreamt about my trip.  It really was like a dream to be back in Spain and at Scooby, and I'm so thankful that I had the chance to go again.

Next trip to Spain and Scooby will be late April through early May.  My husband will be traveling with me this time, and we plan an excursion to Mallorca for a few days.  Hope to bring a dog or two back.  But not sure if we'll be able to.

Hasta Luego! Thank you for reading my blog. Bless sends her blessings. Levi sends happiness.
Our lovely first Scooby Galga, Bless
Our handsome Scooby Podenco, Levi