Hospital Scrubs Sent to Spain to Help Sick Dogs

Griffin Hospital and Griffin Bariatrics staff have sent their lightly-used scrubs to help care for abandoned and injured galgos, also known as Spanish hunting greyhounds, across the globe.

Ruth Tuccio, a unit clerk at Griffin and coordinator of the hospital’s therapy dog program People and Animals Working in Spirit (P.A.W.S.), organized the collection of scrubs for Galgos del Sol, a large rescue organization based in Murcia, Spain.

The scrubs will be used by volunteers when cleaning the dogs and their kennels, so that they don’t ruin their clothes.

In Spain, thousands of galgos are abandoned or killed annually at the end of each short hunting season. As they are not always viewed as potential pets in the country, galgos usually end up in pounds, where their lives are often ended in inhumane ways, according to a Griffin Hospital press release. Galgos del Sol rescues and rehabilitates them and finds them forever homes in the UK, US and Belgium.

"In ancient times the galgo was a prized possession, but currently they have become disposable 'hunting tools'," the Galgos del Sol website noted in its About Galgos section. "GDS believes galgos are an integral part of Spanish legacy and deserve to be returned to a place of respect."

For more information about Galgos del Sol, visit its website.

Photo: “Hank,” a rescued galgo, or Spanish hunting greyhound, at Galgos del Sol, poses with some of the scrubs donated by staff at Griffin Hospital and Griffin Bariatrics.