Greyhound, Galgo, Podenco of Atlantic Canada (GGPAC) is a registered charity that is 100% managed by volunteers.
In 1994, Greyhound Pets of Atlantic Canada (GPAC) started transporting retired racing Greyhounds from the USA to Atlantic Canada. Through a wonderful network of Greyhound-loving volunteers, over 7,000 Greyhounds have retired happily in Atlantic Canadian homes.
The Greyhound adoption program has permanently closed. GGPAC continues to provide support for Greyhounds that were adopted through GPAC.
Everyone involved with GGPAC, including our Board of Directors, is a volunteer and all GGPAC activities are financed entirely through fundraising and donations.
GGPAC’s Mission is: to Partner with Spanish dog rescue groups and match rescued Galgos and Podencos with pre-approved Atlantic Canadian families, to help with a smooth transition to home life, and to continue legacy support of previously adopted Greyhounds.
Two distinct breeds of Spanish sighthounds called Galgos and Podencos sadly do not fall under animal protection laws in Spain – these dogs are seen as ‘a tool’ for hunting. Often kept in squalid conditions and mistreated, these persecuted dogs are heavily bred for pack hunting, resulting in many dogs needing help. Every year, following the competitive hare coursing events and the recreational hare hunting season in Spain, thousands of Galgos and Podencos are abandoned, killed, or worse.
How does GGPAC work? Building on the care and dedication of the amazing rescue organizations in Spain, GGPAC assesses both the rescued dogs and the candidate families to ensure the best possible matches and create the greatest chance of successful adoptions. GGPAC sends a patron to transport these carefully selected dogs from the rescue in Spain and GGPAC provides support to the adoptive families.
Why does GGPAC bring dogs from Spain to Canada? Galgos and Podencos are sensitive, trusting, loyal, smart, playful, majestic and beautiful dogs. Unfortunately, many of them live a life of starvation, neglect, torture and unimaginable pain in Spain.
Since 2020, GGPAC has transported and found homes for more than 50 rescued Galgos and Podencos.
GGPAC, as a Nova Scotia based charity, is governed by bylaws that are registered with the Registry of Joint Stock Companies. The all-volunteer Board of Directors is responsible for the day-to-day planning and organization of all the activities of the charity: fundraising activities and events, volunteer recruitment and coordination, budget management, member communications, liaison with potential adopters as well as the Spanish rescues, organizing transports, support of adopted Spanish dogs and Greyhounds (including emergency rehoming situations), regular Board meetings, government reporting, and our Annual General Meeting.
For more information, or to contact board members, click here.
Message from the President
Thank you for visiting the Greyhound, Galgo, Podenco of Atlantic Canada (GGPAC) website. We rescue Podencos and Galgos from Spain and bring them to Canada so they can live their best lives. Let me share information about these amazing dogs, the Podencos and Galgos of Spain.
These little-known and often misunderstood breeds are two of the oldest purebred dogs in the world, tracing their lineage back to the ancient Pharaoh Hounds of Egypt. These dogs are featured in ancient hieroglyphics and were highly valued by the Egyptians for their remarkable speed, endurance, agility, and exceptional sense of smell. These qualities make them particularly well-suited for hunting, and that’s why Galgos and Podencos are bred today.
Sadly, in Spain, an estimated 100,000 Podencos and Galgos are abandoned or cruelly executed when hunting season ends. This tragic situation arises because getting rid of older dogs and acquiring new ones for the next hunting season is often considered cheaper. Unbelievably, these dogs are generally under the age of two years.
Most of their working lives are spent on short chains, without shelter. Or, they are crammed into dark sheds, packed so tightly together that they cannot move, and forced to lie in urine and feces. They are starved because it is cheaper, and the hunter believes that hungry dogs make better hunters.
What is even more amazing about these resilient dogs is their incredible trust and loyalty, which allows them to be rehabilitated and rehomed despite the unimaginable abuse they have endured. They are smart, eager to learn, keen to please, sensitive, loveable, playful, and affectionate. These beautiful dogs can make fantastic pets.
Even though the animal cruelty laws were recently amended in Spain, these dogs are specifically exempted from any protections. Galgos and Podencos are not considered pets by their hunting owners; they are viewed merely as tools for hunting.
GGPAC works with charities in Spain that are committed to rescuing and re-homing Podencos and Galgos. If you are considering getting a puppy or bringing a dog into your life, why not adopt a Podenco or a Galgo? You would welcome a fully vaccinated, neutered, and vetted new best friend into your home. Best of all, by adopting, you will save not just one life, but two: your adoption opens up a space for another dog or puppy to be rescued from possible horrific suffering.
If you can’t adopt a Galgo or Podenco right now, why not consider volunteering or donating to support the work we do? Look further on this Website to find out how. Thank you.
Hope Boehm
President, GGPAC