Why Puppies? Why Not!

Exhibit A
Exhibit A

Why does SHUG bring puppies over from Spain and the Middle East for adoption to homes in North America? We present to you . . . Exhibit A. In all seriousness, though, there are some very practical reasons – on both ends of the Atlantic – for why SHUG is willing, and even eager, to bring over puppies.

 

Puppy Primer #1: Did you know that galgo puppies can travel in pairs? That's right! You can bring two to a crate, so we get twice as many dogs into loving U.S. homes on a single ticket. Bringing dogs over is a slow process. You can only “attach” two crates per ticket – so only two adult dogs at a time. But if one crate has puppies, well, we’ve gotten one more dog headed for a special forever home. SHUG offers its adopters a flat adoption fee that is half what some groups charge to adopt Galgos. One of the ways we do that is by keeping our per dog cost low through the judicious application of puppy power.

 

Puppy Primer #2: Shelters have a difficult time dealing with puppies. Not only do they have special nutrition needs, they must be separated from the main groups of dogs for fear they’ll get trampled on or played with too roughly. And since puppies come in groups, they have a tendency to descend en mass on already over-burdened shelters.

 

Puppy Primer #3: People like puppies! Some families are purposefully looking for a puppy. And as many people have found out, Sighthound puppies--especially Greyhound puppies--are almost impossible to get through rescue. Galgo and Saluki puppies can fill that need for families with puppy fever.

 

Puppies and mom being rescued in the desert.
Puppies and mom being rescued in the desert.

Puppy Primer #4: Most of the time, puppies are rescued from the countryside or the desert, where the mothers are doing the best job they can under very trying circumstances to take care of their pups. What this means, for the puppies at least, is that they have been spared the active abuse their mother might have been subjected to her in her life. Yes, they might be dirty and full of fleas upon arrival, but underneath all of that they're almost lethally cute and basically come with no baggage. While we all may be moved by the plight of these persecuted breeds, not everyone is ready to take in a dog whose scars may be more than skin deep. [Note from Michael Owens, SHUG Director: In the interest of full disclosure, I'll take a senior with some scars over a puppy every day of the week, but I do get "the puppy thing."]

 

Which brings us to our questions. SHUG has an opportunity over the next few months to bring over quite a few puppies. We assure you – they will be extremely cute. We also assure you they are going to be full of puppy teeth, puppy energy and a puppy’s disregard for proper toilet etiquette. We want to gauge interest before we push the “yes” button. Are you interested and willing to be a puppy foster family? Are you particularly interested in adopting a

Exhibit B
Exhibit B

sighthound puppy? If yes, let us know. You can submit a comment here or send us an email at info@sighthoundunderground.com. If you want, you can even send in an application.

 

On the fence? Here is Exhibit B, just for good measure.

 

Photos courtesy of Galgos del Sol and Rescue Salukis of the Middle East

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9 thoughts on “Why Puppies? Why Not!
  1. I am interested in adopting a puppy. I had an Ibizan hound cross who passed away last fall, so I have some experience with the breed, though I adopted her as a 2 year old, not a puppy! What time frame will the puppies be ready to be adopted? Are they treated for any health issues prior to adoption?

    Thanks!
    Elise

    1. Elise — We’re getting galgos puppies Nov. 2! They will need to be in foster care for about a month after they arrive. They will be fully vetted before they go to their new homes. If you put in an application, we’ll be in contact to find out your specific needs, if you have any, such as gender, color, personality, etc.

      Blog Moderator

  2. Primer #3 is the main reason we turned in our application a couple weeks ago. We already have in our family one great Grey! We haven’t heard anything about our application, so we hope you got it?

    1. Kelli — We checked out PO Box today and did not have your application. If you sent it in electronically, it appears to have disappeared somehow. We’ll get in touch with you via email!

      SHUG Blog Moderator

  3. Is there any special reason why the puppies are in foster care for a month after arrival, besides the recuperative time after a neuter?
    Thanks,
    Bonnie

  4. Bonnie — The time the puppy is in foster care varies. It could be as short as a week or two or a long as a month. It just depends on the specific dog. Some need to settle in when they get here before they’re ready for spay/neuter, for example.

    Moderator

  5. Thank you for your quick response – I understand the need to get them settled and calmed before they can be spayed/neutered.