My Name is Travis Patenaude and in August 2014 I purchased my first camera to try and raise awareness of the Hunting Dogs of Spain.
The Spanish greyhound, or Galgo, is one of the most persecuted breeds in the world, but very few people have ever heard of this rare dog breed. Galgos are used as Hunting Dogs to catch hares in the Spanish countryside. They spend their lives in damp, tiny, dirty holes or windowless shacks deprived of daylight, exercise, and affection. Between 50.000 and 100.000 Galgos are killed or abandoned every year after the hunting season when they no longer live up to their owners’ expectations. The breeders, the so-called galgueros, breed hoping to end up with the best hunting dog to compete and hunt the hare, but overbreeding leads to the “throwing out” of thousands and thousands of Galgos every year.
Since 2013 my wife and I have transported 140 dogs from Spain to find their forever homes here in the Chicagoland area. I have had the honor to photography many of the dogs that we have transported. These are my portraits of these beautiful expressive faces that have been rescued from Spain.
More info: StinkEyePhotography.com
